Mine or Yours
by KeGzZ
Summary: After a sudden attack on Berk Kingdom, Hiccup was forced to leave his country. Together with Gobber he travels to an allied country of Berk where he gets the chance to start a new life, away from all the pressure and expectations he had detested. Yet, after he had lost everything, he began to realize how much he loved his home. The only way to his redemption might be a blonde girl.
1. Chapter 1

**Mine or Yours - A New Start**

* * *

 _Badump. Badump. Badump._ Hiccup opened his eyes as he looked at the kingdom in the far. He stood at the cliff as he remained hidden from all eyes that were probably already searching for him. His heart beat fast. The excitement and guilt worked together to fuel his heart with agony. He turned around to look back at the fire that was still burning the royal crest of his tunic. _It is better that way_ , is what he thought to himself. It had already become like a chant to keep himself from going back. Just a few hours ago, he had complained to his father that he was worrying too much over him. The next moment, knights and guards lay dead in their own blood as he and his father escaped through an emergency tunnel. His father had insisted for him to run as far away as possible and obviously, he was against the idea of leaving his father back with the enemy. However, before he could protest, Gobber had hoisted him over his shoulder with ease as he ran to the horse stall.

Now he stood on a cliff, far away from his kingdom as he burned the proof of his royal blood. All he wore was simple brown leather pants, black boots that went up just below his knee, a white tunic and a black cloak. The only thing he could not throw away was his mother's ring. It was the only momentum he had of his mother, and he insisted to keep it after arguing with Gobber over it for a good while. He pulled a leather string through the ring and made a tight knot, making sure it would not fall loose in any way. He pulled it over his head and hid the ring under his tunic. Both men waited until the fire burnt off every proof of their survival until the fire extinguished altogether. Hiccup looked back at the kingdom, at his home, as fire and explosions lit every corner of the kingdom alight. After a while he felt a strong palm on his shoulder and Hiccup looked back. Gobber just patted his shoulder in sympathy as he worked his chin towards the forest that lay in front of them. "We have to go," he said with a low voice and Hiccup's face darkened again. _Why, why did all this have to happen?_

Hiccup nodded and walked towards one of the two horses that was as black as the night. He mounted him and waited for Gobber to do the same. When both were ready and nodded to each other, they moved towards the darkness, towards the day after today, away from all this nightmare. His heart clenched tighter the further they rode away from the kingdom. Eventually, Gobber had taken the lead and Hiccup watched the back of the only man he could trust now. As he was sure that the old man could not see him from this angle, Hiccup allowed his pain to take over for a second, shedding tears silently as the wind blew them away, leaving scars of his agony in form of a crusty skin where the tears had dried.

...

After nearly three months, both men had finally arrived at the kingdom where Gobber had spent a few years in order to establish a good relationship with their allies. Gobber had told him that he would need a new name now that he was wanted in his own kingdom. A new name and a new identity. All Hiccup did was eat, sleep and listen. He had stopped talking and Gobber decided to take over the talking for him whenever people wanted to ask the young man something. Sometimes Gobber would force him to train his swordsmanship while they rested and after a few threatening comments, Hiccup gave in. Gobber knew what it meant to lose someone or to leave someone close to one's heart behind. Nevertheless, he also knew that it would do him no good if he did not do anything at all. That is how Hiccup still had some muscle beneath all that tall and scrawny build.

People looked up to them as the two passed the streets in a walking pace. Some people recognized Gobber and greeted him while others took a good look at the young man who was following him. Hiccup never lifted his head once, never looked at the people while all he did was being lost in his thoughts, back _home_. He never realized that he was on royal ground until Gobber spoke up, "Your majesty."

Hiccup looked up and watched as Gobber dismounted his horse in a smooth motion. He did the same and bowed when Gobber had put his hand on his head and pushed it down. He stood silent and waited until a loud laugh pierced his ears.

"Don't be so formal, old friend. What takes you to our beloved kingdom? And who is that young man behind you?" a deep yet friendly voice asked. Gobber just smiled sadly and replied, "He is my… apprentice. His name is Henry Borgenson. And for the other matter…" Gobber stopped to look at the king with a frown and the king knew immediately that something was up. The king moved his hand and waited for the guard to come up.

"Take the horses to the stall and show this young man to the guest chamber," he ordered before he whispered, albeit still audible. "Have you already found her?" The guard let out a sigh and shook his head. The king sighed and rubbed his temple. "That girl is driving me crazy. Alright, get back to work," he commanded, turning around and leaving first. Gobber gave Hiccup a nod and nudged with his head in the guard's direction, telling him to follow him. Hiccup complied and followed the guard without a word. When the horses were taken care of, the guard motioned him to follow him yet again. Since Hiccup had nothing to do anyway, he took a closer look at the surrounding. The kingdom was really… green. A large forest was surrounding the castle and the people were cheerful. Good for them – they were not the ones who lost everything. He also noticed that some guards were flustered or annoyed, running around as they checked every corner. Were they searching for someone? Just then he heard a pair of giggles from above and he turned his head in that direction. There was only a tree next to him and he was about to turn his head away again when his eyes met a pair of blue eyes. Then he noticed that two girls were hiding up high in the crown of a tree, their clothes blending in with the leaves. The guard noticed that Hiccup had stopped in his track and asked, "What are you looking at?"

Hiccup watched as the two girls held their breath as they shook their head, telling him to not rat on them. He looked back at the guard with a straight face and said in a low voice, "Just a squirrel."

"Well, I'm glad that you're so interested in squirrels but please let me show you to your chamber first before you wander off sightseeing," the guard said politely and waited for Hiccup to follow again. He gave a last glance at the two blonde girls before he went away. This kingdom surely had _nothing_ to worry over at all.

After a good walk of ten minutes, they arrived at the chamber. The guard told him everything that was necessary and left him to himself. Hiccup looked around, taking in the modest yet luxurious chamber. He could not care less though. A bed was still better than sleeping against a horse. Out in the cold. He opened the windows and the door that led to a large balcony. Everything seemed so peaceful, yet he could not enjoy that feeling. Peace became a foreign word to him and every time he would remind himself that he should just accept the fact that he could not return home anymore. He had no home. Everybody was a stranger to him and every nation was somehow enemy territory. Gobber might have said that this kingdom was his father's greatest ally, yet he could not trust them. He could not trust anyone anymore. They seemed friendly, but it did not mean that they were not bad. He did not know them, therefore he would not trust them - simple as that. After watching the maids and knights doing their work for a little while longer, he decided to take a rest from everything. He would sleep and then he would wake up, hopefully revealing everything to be a bad dream. That is what he hoped every time he went to sleep and that is also the reason why he always slept so often these past few days. Sleep and hope.

Nighttime arrived quickly and Gobber was exhausted. He had explained everything to the king and made sure that he did not leak that information to anyone. He did not tell him that Hiccup was the prince though. He thought it would be best if Hiccup could lead a normal life for a change. As long as he knew his true identity, it was enough. Hiccup should use this chance to begin a new life. He knocked lightly at the door to Hiccup's chamber and waited a few seconds before he opened the door. He watched as Hiccup slept in the bed, blanket covering only his lower half as his chest rose and fell. It had been a while since Gobber saw him sleep in a bed and it reminded him instantly of the time back home. Hiccup would train with him and Gobber would scold him if he did not concentrate. He would sneak away from the castle and wander around in the town and whenever he came back, his father would scold him not to worry him so much. And after a long day, Hiccup would sleep tight in his bed. And every single time he and Stoick would watch over him for a few seconds before they returned to their bed. Stoick as a king had not much time to spend with his son. That was why Gobber jumped in for him and took care of the young boy. That way Hiccup sometimes felt like he had two fathers looking over him. Sometimes it annoyed him but it felt great as well to know that there were people who cared for him. Moreover, two nonetheless. Gobber smiled sadly as he closed the door again. Those times were over and he too had to look forward. For Hiccup's sake. He returned to his chamber and retired for the night.

…

Hiccup awoke to someone shaking him up and groaned. The bed was way too comfortable to just abandon it like that. He pulled the blanket over his head, muttered something about another five minutes, was about to fall into a deep sleep again until Gobber yanked the blanket away and pulled at his legs.

"What the-!" Hiccup forced his eyes to open and was met with a painful sting that followed as his eyes abruptly met the light. His eyes adjusted slowly and laid down on the huge man that was still holding his leg. "Gobber!"

"Time to get up, lad. I need to introduce you," he simply said and pulled him off the bed for good.

"I'm awake! I'm awake! Stop pulling me- Ow!" The back of his head met the hard ground and forced a groan out of him as he held his head, trying to soothe the pain. "Gobber! I swear-"

"No swearing in my presence. Now come on and get dressed." The man left him on the ground and shut the door. Hiccup listened for a while until the steps could not be heard anymore and sat up. He stretched and cracked his spine and neck before he stood up for good. His father had always scolded him that it was not healthy for his body if he continued to do that. And suddenly his whole mood fell gloomy again as he remembered his father. Surely, he cannot be dead, right? He may be the king but he was also the most feared warrior in the whole kingdom. No, there was no point in overthinking it. He just hoped that all his fears would prove to be wrong and one day his father would show up again. _Hope_ – a word he never thought about until recently. Now he understood what it meant when people prayed and _hoped_ whenever they confronted a crisis. Hope, that the family would come off unscathed. Hope, that everything will be fine. Hope, that the nightmare would end soon. Hiccup began to learn a new definition and meaning concerning that very word and it would probably follow his whole life now. He had never thought about it when his father came back late from a journey. He was always sure that after some free days of messing up and playing around, his father would return and scold him. That was who Stoick the Vast was. That was how his life should have been. Yet, here he was, in a foreign country, foreign kingdom, foreign chamber. At least they spoke the same language.

Hiccup changed into a new tunic and looked at the mirror. He looked awful. There were dark circles around his eyes and his skin was pale. Probably because he did not eat and drink much lately. He lifted his finger to his chin and traced the fading scar gently, as if afraid to rub it off entirely – the scar he got from his first sword battle with his father. He smirked melancholically at the memory. His father even went so far as to use an axe to show him what it meant to be in a real battle. His fingers went up to the rings under his eyes. He should eat more. His father would not want him to look as pitiful as that. He probably would make fun of him and afterwards scold him again. _His father…_

Hiccup shook his head and went with his hand through his hair, ruffling it a bit until he found himself comfortable with the look. He pulled a brown vest over his white tunic and gave a last look at the ring on his chest. He unconsciously held it tightly in his fist as he left the chamber. Some people gave him a strange look as he passed them but he could not care less. He needed to find Gobber. However, when the guard had shown him to his chamber, he did not focus on the surrounding much after the incident with the two girls. Therefore, he was completely lost in this huge environment. Soon he had to admit that he was lost. When he turned around a corner, a maid was heading towards his direction so he decided to ask her.

"Excuse me?" His voice came off more like a whisper. A side effect from no talking at all the last three months. However, although it was really in a low voice, the maid still got it. "Yes?"

"Could you help me find Sir Gobber's room?" he asked in a gentle voice. The maid smiled at his politeness and replied, "Of course. But please allow me to finish my work first, if that is no problem for you?" Hiccup just nodded and forced a little smile on his lips although he did not feel like smiling. He was taught to always be grateful to people who were willing to help him. Hiccup accompanied the maid down the hall and stood silent most of the time. However, the maid decided to break the silence. "So, I guess you're not from here, young man." It was more like a statement than a question.

"No, I'm not."

"Thought so. You hold yourself differently. Where are you from?"

"I'd rather not talk about it."

The maid looked back to him over her shoulder and found his face darkening. A taboo topic, huh. Now that she thought about it, if he was searching for Sir Gobber, he might come from Berk, the country of freezing cold, as well. Interesting. It would certainly explain his pale skin. Although she had to admit that her first impression of him resembled more of a ghost than a human. Now when she took a closer look, she would notice that he was tall and in some way handsome. More so if he had a bit more flesh on him to form his growing body. His messy hair was extraordinary and somewhat refreshing. He certainly was not from here, especially after noticing the grace he held with himself. People of the lower class would never walk like that. Head held high, back straight and yet modest in a way. This boy was mysterious. She was sure that now she had a topic to gossip about with the other maids.

After around five minutes, they stood in front of a huge door and the maid turned around. "This is my stop. You just have to walk down the hall and turn right. The second door you pass will be Sir Gobber's chamber."

Hiccup nodded and smiled. "Thank you for your help."

"Thank you for the nice company. It has been a while since I felt as if I'm being courted."

"Surely you jest," he said with a broader grin while the maid laughed. She then knocked the door and that was the sign for him to get going. He could still hear how the maid got angry though. Something about _Astrid_ and _Princess_ and _Rachel_ not being responsible. He smiled to himself and left for good, following the path that the maid had described. He was about to turn to the right when suddenly a huge man stood in front of him. "Where _were_ you?"

Hiccup looked up to find Gobber raising an eyebrow at him.

"I was lost."

"Ah yes. Totally forgot about that habit of yours. Come on. The king is waiting."

And just like that Hiccup got dragged around the castle again. At least he was used to the long walks from one place to the other. He looked at the walls that were adorned with paintings of the royal bloodline. Each painting held resemblance to the next one. It was mostly about blond hair and blue eyes. Now that he thought about it, the day before he had seen these pair of blue eyes too, although they were somewhere up the tree. He passed painting by painting until he found an empty space. To the right was a painting of the whole family. To the left was a painting of a little boy who seemed to be nervous. Probably around 7 to 8 years old. He had stopped in his track and looked at the family painting and then back to the young boy. And lastly, to the empty space. The young boy seemed to be the prince of the royal family for he sat next to a young girl on the family painting, which means that the empty space was reserved for the painting of the daughter, probably. Yet there was no painting there. Gobber noticed that Hiccup had stopped in his tracks again and sighed. That boy really should focus more on the important things.

"The painting would never get finished," Gobber explained and watched as Hiccup snapped his head back to Gobber. Hiccup resumed his walk and came up next to Gobber until both men returned to the way to the king.

"Why?"

"Because that girl never smiles when she's to be painted. And she never sits still." They both turned to the left when the hall ended and walked towards a giant door, decorated with gold and gems. Surely, the king was sitting behind this door on his throne. Hiccup could _feel_ it. "Anyway. Just let me do the talking. And for your own sake, you're Henry Borgenson, adopted son after losing his family in the bombardment. Your father is a very good friend of mine, which is the reason I took you under my wing. That all clear?" Hiccup simply nodded as a response and looked at the door. The guards moved to open it for them and Gobber led the way inside while Hiccup followed with a straight back. The guards closed the giant door again, each one motioning the door wing into its lock. Hiccup found himself walking on a red carpet that led to the throne. Sitting on the throne was a huge man. He was not fat - he was well built and had defined muscles on his body. Blond hair that reached his shoulders and a well-groomed blond beard. His eyes were as deep blue as the ocean and on his head lay a golden crown with a blue sapphire in the middle of it. His eyes were strict, yet polite and gentle. Next to him sat a tall woman. Quite beautiful for her age. She too had blonde hair that were long and straight. If she would stand up, the hair would probably reach down over her waist. On her head was also a crown, albeit smaller than the king's. Next to the king stood a young boy. Hiccup immediately noticed that it was the boy who he had just seen in the painting a few minutes before. Although he was two inches taller now while his chubby cheeks had disappeared a little. He had the same blond hair as his parents and looked at Gobber with… was that pride? Happiness? Anticipation? Well, probably something along those lines. The young boy too had a crown on his head and sometimes took a glance at Hiccup. He was just as curious about Hiccup as Hiccup was about him.

Hiccup watched how the king whispered to a maid with an annoyed look while the maid only seemed to apologize and look around the hall for the right solution. Just when the king was about to raise his voice, the door behind him slammed open. Hiccup watched as the kings face fell while he let out a long sigh. Hiccup was about to turn around and see what had caused the commotion. As his face was turned to the side, someone passed his vision in a blur. For a moment, time had slowed down and Hiccup could see clearly who had just passed him- a girl with blonde hair who was just an inch smaller than he himself. Her hair was braided to the side, which blocked his view on her neck. Although her face was looking straight towards her family, he could still make out her blue eyes. However, they were not as deep blue as her father's, not as icy blue as her mother's, but as blue as the sky. The same eyes that had stared at him when he found them in the tree. She wore a red sleeveless tunic that was tugged into the edge of her blue, tight pants. She wore brown leather boots that had little fur as a decoration around the rim as a sign of her wealth. She also wore brown leather arm plates, held together by several strings around it. A sheathed sword hung on her waist while a bow and a quiver full of arrows were on her back. And just like that, the moment had passed and everything around him went back to its normal pace.

When she had arrived next to her mother, the queen immediately whispered something that made the girl roll her eyes. Hiccup smirked a bit at the silent banter between mother and daughter before his face returned to its stony feature. Gobber halted a few feet in front of the king and bowed. Hiccup did the same and waited for their permission to look up. He could hear the king sigh and chuckle and the same time.

"Please, lift your heads," he told them with a snicker, the wrinkles around his eyes drawn close together as his eyes laughed with his smile. Gobber and Hiccup obeyed and stood straight. It was then that Hiccup noticed the girls eyes widen, recognizing him. Though, it only held on for a second before her face returned to the passive and neutral gaze. "I think we already know who you are Gobber," the king said lightly as he laughed, "But how about the young lad next to you? Introduce yourself, boy."

Hiccup took a step forward and gave a modest bow. "My name is Henry Borgenson. It is an honor to meet you, your majesty."

"Borgenson?" The king looked at Gobber with a raised eyebrow. It was now Gobber's turn to talk and he too took a step forward while Hiccup took a step back, his head still in a slight bow.

"He's the son of a good friend of mine. He got involved with the bombardment I've told you about yesterday. I took him under my wing. He's also my apprentice."

Hiccup bit back a comment as he tried to remain calm. At least, Gobber did not say that his father had died. Because they did not know. And as long as there was no proof, he would not believe it.

The king fingered his beard as he gave them a thoughtful look.

"I'm sorry about that. I went over the details with Gobber already. You two may stay in the castle as long as you feel comfortable. We still owe him and his kingdom for their great help. That aside, let me introduce you to my family. I'm Alphonse Hofferson, the king of this country – where the sun never sets." He motioned his hand to his wife and continued, "This is my wife, Queen Armelia Hofferson."

His hand went to the small boy. "My son, Prince Adrian Hofferson and next heir of this kingdom." And last but not least, his hand motioned to the girl who was the only one that did not wear something formal. "My daughter, Princess Astrid Hofferson. By the way, please excuse her earlier behavior. She can be a little rough."

Astrid snorted at that comment and Alphonse shot a glare in her direction, which silenced her immediately. "Anyway, I hope you'll enjoy your stay while you're here. If you ever need help, ask the maids and the guards. I have already told them that you are to be treated like royalty. It was nice to meet you, Henry." The king gave him a gentle and welcoming smile and as gloomy as he might be, he knew that he had to return the favor. He gave a modest yet sincere smile. From the corner of his eyes he noticed how Astrid stared at him, analyzing him. For now, he avoided her gaze, which also meant that he did not take in her full beauty yet.

Thus, his new life began. A new name, a new environment, a new kingdom and a chance of a new life. He felt guilt and agony washing over his face while excitement and anticipation forced their way into his heart. His body trembled at the sheer thought of finally being free. However, his freedom came from many sacrifices and he has yet to decide if it really was worth it, now that he actually got it. Now that he had the freedom he had always sought, his heart demanded his old life back. The life where he lived peacefully with his father and Gobber and his kingdom. Life back at home. He forced the feeling back as he forced himself to accept everything that had happened so far. It was the least he could do for his father and his kingdom. He still was the Prince of Berk in his heart. And with his heart he lived for each and every citizen that fell on that fateful night. He had to try. For his father. For his people. For Gobber. For himself.

* * *

Date of Update: 14th February 2016

 **~ KeGzZ**


	2. Chapter 2

**Mine or Yours – Pure Evil**

* * *

He needed air. But he had no time to take some. He held his breath and braced himself for the next clash. Gobber swung and the blades resonated with a strong vibe. His ears ringed at the sound and Hiccup tried to straighten his back again. He led the blade to the side, causing Gobber's blade to slide to the side as well, hitting nothing. He took another deep breath and took a defensive stance.

"You can't defend the whole time Hiccup. You have to attack when the time is right. You just let a great chance slip by," Gobber lectured him as he swung again. Hiccup gritted his teeth as he forced Gobber's sword away by parrying. Hiccup was about to strike for the first time when the door suddenly opened. Forth came a black-haired brawn with too shiny white teeth. Following behind him were another two men and two girls. One of them was even larger than the black-haired one. He had dirty blond hair and a rather round face. Although there were plenty of muscles underneath his tunic. Next to him was a thin man with long blond hair as well. His gaze was… interesting. He looked around and took everything in, as if he found every little thing interesting. A weird guy. Behind the men were the two girls who Hiccup recognized right away. They were the same two girls who had hid themselves in the tree on the previous day. Astrid wore the same things she wore during the introduction. The girl next to her had long blonde hair as well, braided to both sides. They all took a weapon. Astrid was about to grab a sword until Gobber stepped in.

"Nuh-uh. You will not take part in our training. You're the princess, if you haven't forgotten. Your mother will skin me if she finds out about it."

"My mother doesn't need to know," Astrid replied while she rolled her eyes.

"Nope. You won't take part in it. That's final," Gobber instructed as he took her sword away.

"Aw come on! We have done this every time and mother never found out!" she tried to argue as she swung her arms annoyed to the air. Gobber pursed his lips and thought for a moment. His eyes fell down on Hiccup who was still huffing from their training just moments ago. He smirked and crossed his arms over his chest. "Alright, I'll let you in." Her face lit up and she was about to jump from all the joy. "On one condition." She groaned and her arms fell defeated to her sides. At least, she had the chance to take part in it. Might as well listen to his condition.

"Which would be?" she asked annoyed. Gobber pointed with his thumb in Hiccup's direction. "You have to win against him."

"What?!" both exclaimed with a loud voice. Astrid was the first to complain, "Are you serious? He can't even stand straight! He can't even hold a sword without losing his breath!"

"What?!" Hiccup gave her an offended look while Gobber just smirked.

"If that's the case, it should be an easy win for you, right?" he taunted her and great gods, she fell for it. "Of course, I can!" Astrid snapped and took the sword from his grab, stomping towards Hiccup. He however was still a bit out of breath and remained on the grass, catching as much rest as he could.

"Hiccup, if you lose, I'll forbid you from riding Toothless for the next whole week," Gobber said nonchalantly as he watched Hiccup's face turning to several shades of red.

"What?! Do I have _any_ say in this?" he complained and stood up, about to confront his guardian when Astrid stepped in front of him.

"Let's get it over with," she said annoyed and crossed her arms over her chest.

"You can't just-!"

" _Hiccup_!" Gobber's raised voice pierced through his ears and Hiccup halted. He looked at him with a mix of confusion and anger. After the two men both held a staring contest for a few seconds, Hiccup gave in.

"Excuse me my rudeness, M'Lady. It is a _pleasure_ to be _allowed_ to fight you." The sarcasm that underlined his apology just angered the Princess even more now. He even gave a mocking bow before he drew his sword. He directed that sarcasm to Gobber though. Never did he think about how the Princess might take it. How dare he take her lightly? Who did he think he was? She thought that he might be an interesting fellow since he did not rat on them, but now it was a different story. She shall eat a broom if she did not take him down now. Both stood a few feet away from each other as they collected their thoughts. Astrid had already taken down everyone, including the Jorgenson boy. She would not allow herself to fall to that scrawny jerk.

"Begin."

And that was the signal for Astrid. She immediately sprinted towards him and expected him to lose his cool from her sudden attack. However, against her predictions, Hiccup stood still and watched her calmly. To hell with his attitude. She took a large swing and the blade clashed with his. She had not expected him to withhold her with such a firm strength though. Hiccup continued to play defensive. He stayed calm, collected and focused. Astrid had tried to force the sword out of his hands recklessly, which tired her out faster than she would have liked to admit. She realized that she could not attack without a strategy as she did with everyone else. Hiccup had held his sword with both his hands the whole time. It was the first time that he let go with one hand and stood with his side to her, the sword in his right hand. He looked at her, his gaze focused solely on her. He took in her every movement, every indication for another attack. It was now Astrid's turn to take a defensive stance, which surprised Hiccup. _Attack_. He lifted his sword with one arm, tightening his muscles while he did so. _Attack_. Her side was wide open. He could close the gap between them with three steps at most and parry her sword, forcing it to the ground and he would be able to attack her. He did not know why, but she guarded her right side more than she did on her left. _Attack_. He could take her down. He saw so many possibilities playing out in front of him. So many possibilities to win. He was about to take a step forward before he froze.

" _You monster!"_

" _You aren't normal!"_

" _Stay away from me!"_

" _I hate you!"_

" _You could never be one of us!"_

Gobber noticed his strange behavior immediately and raised his hand. "Stop!"

But Astrid did not listen. She had seen how he let his guard down and she would be doomed if she did not take the chance. He would try to parry her sword and that would be the point where she would take the advantage to spin his sword and force it out of his hand. "I said stop!" Gobber's voice did not reach the two. That girl did not know what she was up against. She will get hurt if he did not stop the fight. He knew that maybe she would be able to cure Hiccup's traumatic past. However, he totally forgot what risk it bore if his theory indeed proved to be right.

Hiccup saw from the corner of his eyes how Astrid was charging at him and that was when his mind went into a blank state, causing his body to move on autopilot. He could see it. He saw every part of her body that was unguarded. He saw routes he could take to take her down, to knock her out… to kill her. He could _kill_ her! _Attack_. _Don't stop. Attack_. _Attack her_. And then he switched the sword into his left hand and parried her sword with ease. Astrid grinned widely and looked up to see his panicking face. However, she froze when she was confronted with a cold and hungry gaze. She put more force behind her grip and tried to spin his sword out of his hand. Hiccup saw through her and let his sword spin as she wanted, loosening his grip on the hilt for a second before he gripped it tightly again, forcing the spin to continue, her hand to loosen before he could hurt her wrist. He took a step forward, yanking her sword out of her hand as it fell to the ground. Astrid reached out to grab her sword again when she suddenly heard blades clash just above her neck. She froze and did not move. Astrid tilted her head a bit to see what had just happened and met Hiccups gaze. He was staring at her, no… he was staring at her exposed neck, where his sword should have landed. The only reason it did not reach was because Gobber had stopped the attack just at the right time with another sword that he grabbed from the weapons stand. His eyes… they were cold, cruel,… and lonely. She did not even realize that she had just lost the deal until Gobber told her to get up and about while he could still hold Hiccup's attack.

"Hiccup."

The boy did not move his eyes away from Astrid and followed her retreating feature before he felt a sharp pain meeting his cheek. Gobber had slapped him and caused his head to turn away from the blonde girl. Hiccup blinked several times before he realized what he had just done. He had nearly killed… again. He looked at Gobber with widened eyes before his eyes lay on Astrid again. He lowered the sword and took a step back. He bit his lip as he put the sword back to its stand and left. He needed to take a ride. Right now. And just like that, he turned his back to the others and made haste to the stall.

Astrid was still shocked. He beat her without breaking into a sweat. As if it was nothing. Gobber walked towards her and lay a hand on her shoulder. "Is everything alright?"

"He beat me."

"Aye, that he did."

"He didn't go easy on me."

"Yes."

"He tried to kill me."

Gobber pursed his lips and thought about how he could explain it to her without harming Hiccup in any way. "Astrid, listen-"

"Interesting." She smirked and a mischievous glint found its way into her eyes.

"I know, but- wait. What?" Gobber snapped his head in her direction. Had he misheard her?

"The deal's on." She shook Gobber's hand off and put her sword to the stand as well.

"Wait, wait, wait, wait! Astrid, what are you talking about?" Gobber shook his head and arms and everything that could be shaken at the same time.

"You said that I can't take part in your training unless I beat Henry, right?" she asked for confirmation.

"Well, yeah, but-"

"Good. I will so fucking kill him." She grinned wide and went back to the castle, plans and strategies already forming in her mind.

"No swearing in my presence! God damn it!" Gobber groaned in frustration and turned back to the knights who were left in the end. "Why in gods name am I surrounded by hotheaded brats?!" It had been a stupid idea. He should have never made that deal. Stopping Hiccup is one thing but stopping Hiccup _and_ Astrid at the same time is a whole lot worse than massaging the stinky feet of his mother. He pinched the bridge of his nose and went back to the remaining youngsters. Hopefully they would not pull crazy stuns too. He did not know how much he could take for the rest of the day.

…

Astrid was thrilled, excited… happy. The competitiveness of her had caused most of the nobles in her age to stay away from her. Or rather, they tried to be as polite as they could be. She was the Princess and everybody knew that there could be consequences if the Princess was displeased. The only people who would not be afraid of a fight with her were Snotlout and Ruffnut. But after a while it got boring to defeat them every single time. Snotlout would either go easy on her, because she was the Princess, or because she was a girl, and Ruffnut would simply charge right into her, leaving too many openings. Anyway, now it was a different story. That new guy who was to stay in the same castle as her looked delicious enough to devour. He had skill and he would probably be able to sate her thirst for battle and fight. She was not someone to complain about peace. Peace was good. Really. But sometimes it was just so boring that she would wish for some adventure to come around the corner and greet her. It seemed as if the gods have answered her prayers. First she had to find him and demand another battle. There was still the possibility that it was all a fluke and he won by chance. She would make sure this time to approach him carefully with each swing. If after that he still manages to beat her, she shall make him her new playmate. She smirked to herself and she walked towards a guard, telling him to bring him to her. The guard had listened to her request attentively, rushing to accomplish his task as fast as possible – partly because he knew her short temper.

Astrid went to her chamber and lay down on her soft bed covers, sinking in a bit as she let out a long sigh. She went over her memory of him again – not much to begin with but still. Her first impression on him was that he was a quiet fellow. He was also kind of relaxed. If he were stiff, he might have just told the guard yesterday that she was hiding in the tree. The next time she saw him was in the throne hall. He was polite and had manners. His back was straighter than most of the guard's in the castle, yet there was an ominous atmosphere surrounding him. As if he were unreachable. As if he was not quite present during the introduction. He had held himself back, for some unknown reason. And then there was this battle. Gods, he gave her a mocking bow! And even dared to ridicule her by telling that sarcastic apology! Her cheeks went red again at the sheer memory. Anger filled her mind as she sat up. She was so going to kill him.

 _Knock, knock, knock._

She turned to the door and sighed. "Come in." The door opened and revealed the guard she had given the order to look for Hiccup. Her face brightened at the thought that she was about to get the chance to take revenge on him. Her excitement was met with disappointment though when the guard spoke up. "We cannot find Henry, Princess. He might be out in town." _Out in town?_ Now he is making her wait, too? He sure had guts. Her face contorted into an angry grimace as she stood up. She has to do everything herself! She took a cloak and her sword as she passed the guard. "P-Princess! Where are you going?"

"I'm going to find that jerk!" Her voice was filled with annoyance and anger, maybe a tint of frustration. She went to the stall and looked for her horse. At the end of the hall was a white one who already wore light blue armor with golden lines to underline the light colors. "Come on, girl. We're going to find him and make him regret he ever mocked me!" she said as she mounted the horse, riding out of the stall and towards the gate. She was thinking about where to look first until Snotlout dragged her out of her thoughts.

"No Princess leaves the castle without her personal knight!" he said, huffing as he pressed his chest forward with a proud grin on his face. She rolled her eyes and rode even faster. He was the last person she needed now. All her focus was on that tall, scrawny jerk who she was so obsessed on getting revenge from.

…

Hiccup lay in the straw next to Toothless in the stall. He let out a sigh of relief as he settled down, relaxing his shoulders. Actually he wanted to take a ride but found himself too tired to do so, which was why he simply stayed next to Toothless. The black mustang had been a gift from his father for his 15th birthday. He was now 19 years old, meaning, he had Toothless for five years now. In those five years, he and Toothless had gotten attached to each other so much that Hiccup had even refused to have more horses, or emergency horses after Toothless had broken its leg once. He had slept in the stall for over a week, tending to Toothless as much as he could while he provided human warmth. It was a miracle that Toothless could fully recover from that injury since the leg had been twisted in a disgusting way.

Toothless lay next to him, his head on Hiccup's lap as he dozed off. Hiccup smiled to himself as the scene reminded him of a big, spoiled cat. His mind went back to the moment when an angry blonde girl had cursed right next to him as she took a horse outside. Great, it was his first day in the castle and he already managed to piss of one of the royal family. Just great. He did not even intend to piss her off. He was polite the whole time, was he not? The only time he shifted from polite to rude was when he addressed Gobber in the middle of his sentence. Anyway, that girl really had to work on her temper.

Then again, he _did_ nearly kill her. He made a note to himself to confront Gobber the next time concerning that matter. He of all people should know about his opinion, yet he still forced him to go up against the Princess. What did he think he could achieve by doing so! One wrong move and Hiccup could have gotten Gobber and himself banned from the country. Worse, they could have been sentenced to death! Hiccup let out a groan as he lay his arm over his eyes. He needed to indulge in this temporary darkness to hide away from everything. His head hurt and his hand still trembled. That was exactly the reason why he was so against training. Gobber had forced him every single time to confront himself with the problem. He was afraid… of himself. He hated violence. He hated it, yet everytime people forced him to use it, he found pleasure in doing so. It was so contradicting. He loved to overpower someone with his swordsmanship. It was proof of his hard work and his father's patience in teaching him. His father had told him that he should never use violence to overthrow someone or something, but to protect and to defend. But how was he supposed to protect and defend people from enemies if he cannot even defend people from himself.

He should apologize to her. It was the least he could do. She is royal in the end, and he was known as some farmer's son, probably. He sighed again and lay a hand on Toothless head, stroking him while he relaxed more. He needed to apologize. But… the apology could wait a bit. He really felt like sleeping right now and that is exactly what he was going to do. The warmth that Toothless shared was enough to soothe his body and after a few seconds, Hiccup fell asleep. Far away from worry and hurt into a dream about his home and father.

…

Astrid stomped furiously through the halls and snapped at everyone who dared to stop her. Snotlout was trudging behind her with a bandage around his face. He was the first one to fall to her anger and it certainly looked as painful as it felt. Astrid was at her limits and stopped in her tracks, making Snotlout halt just as sudden as he nearly lost his balance.

"God damn it, leave me alone!" she yelled and closed the door to her chamber with a loud bang when she arrived. Snotlout, now totally worn out and tired from the chase, gave up for the day and returned to his room. She was lucky that she was so beautiful to capture his interest. She should be honored! Yet all she does is ignoring him and bad-mouthing him. He sighed. _What a girl._

Astrid threw the cloak on the ground and changed her sword with her axe that hung on the wall. She needed to let out some steam. All this anger and fury is making her light-headed and would keep her awake the whole night. She opened the door and stomped through the halls again, her axe on her shoulders, which kept every guard and maid away. They knew what it meant when she held her axe like that. And her face was proof enough that their assumption was right.

Hiccup yawned and rubbed his eyes. It was a bad idea to sleep in the stall. The moment he woke up, it had been in the middle of the night and it was cold. He sneezed and rubbed his arms together. He should have taken his coat with him. She turned around the corner and looked to the wall again. There that empty space was again. He stopped in his tracks and looked and it. A cold shiver ran down his spine at the memory of the furious Princess. Gods, he really needed to avoid her. He did not know her for long, but he was sure she would beat him to a pulp if she found him. He walked faster and followed the hall. His eyes were on his feet as he tried to come up with a good apology. What he did not realize was that footsteps were drawing nearer as he tried to form an appropriate apology that could sound sincere and honest. Then he felt a shadow hovering over him and he lifted his head. A small yet strong fist met his abdomen with all the force that the swing brought with it. Hiccup gasped and crouched down, falling to his knees. He coughed and tried to inhale as much air as he could to replace the hole in his chest where the air got knocked out.

"Why would you _do_ that?" He fell to the side and his eyes met those sky blue eyes again. Oh gods, saying that she was furious would be an understatement. He was sure that she was the devil personally now as her face turned into an unhealthy shade of red.

" _That_ was for making me search you the whole day! And this-" She let her axe fall with the hilt on his abdomen again, making him groan in pain again. "Is for everything else!" Hiccup was sure that he would not survive the night if he did not escape immediately. He coughed and covered his abdomen from another possible attack. However, she just let out a row of curses under her breath as she stepped over him, leaving him behind as she went down the hall. Urgh, at least he needed to apologize. He forced himself to stand up and tried to reach out to her. Each movement brought pain to the spot she hit him. Gods, where did that girl get so much strength?

"I-I'm sorry!" he managed loud enough to make her stop and turn around. Her face turned into a grimace before she frowned.

"Sorry?"

"Y-Yeah. I'm sorry that I nearly killed you… M'Lady."

"Urgh! Don't call me that! Are you mocking me again?!" She was now stomping towards him again and had already raised her fist.

"No no no! I'm serious! I'm sorry I nearly killed you… I didn't mean to. A-And it's only appropriate to call you like that. You _are_ the Princess," he tried to reason. Her fist stopped mid-air as she tried to make sense out of him. She lowered her fist but held it ready nonetheless.

"Oh, and let me guess. It is a _pleasure_ to have the _opportunity_ to apologize to me!" she mimicked him as she spat those words into his face.

"Excuse me?" Now he was lost for words. What was she talking about?

"Don't _Excuse-me_ me! You know exactly what I'm talking about!" _No. No, actually, he does not_.

He thought about the way she used his words and rephrased it several times until it clicked. Oh, she thought he had directed his sarcasm towards her! Gods be with him, why did everyone misunderstand him.

"Oh."

" _Oh!_ Is that all you have to say?!" She was now yelling at him, about to raise her axe instead of her fist.

"Stop stop stop! You've misunderstood!" She stopped again and waited for him to continue. "It- Well- I-" _Smooth, Hiccup. Smooth_.

"Get to the point!" Her patience was running out with every passing second and she needed to vent off somewhere on something… or someone.

"I didn't mean to mock you! I-It was meant for G- Sir Gobber! I would never ridicule you on purpose!" he tried to convince her of his innocence. Astrid raised an eyebrow and glared at him. "Are you making fun of me?"

Hiccup lifted his arms in surrender immediately, shaking his head so fast that the vision in front of him blurred for a moment. "No! No making fun of you. I'm serious! Dead serious! Absolutely serious! So serious I might bite my fingers off!"

Astrid watched him, a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips. Suddenly all her anger flew away and left an amusing sight in front of her. He was… fun. Teasing him was fun, that is. Still, she was not dumb enough to give him the sense of security that he so dearly sought from her face. No, let him agitate a little bit more. His hands trembled and she bit on her lip to stop the giggle that threatened to come out.

"Okay. Apology accepted," she said, lowering her axe as she still stared at him with a frown. Hiccup sighed out, relieved that he managed to escape a painful and probably disgraceful death. " _But._ " Oh yeah, he forgot that it was Princess Astrid, he was talking about – the daughter of the devil.

"You have to fight me again." Yes. Pure evil.

"I think that isn't a good idea," he said with raised finger, emphasizing his point by trying to warn her from him himself.

"If it's a good idea or bad idea is my problem. Do you accept or not?" She was now standing with her hands on her hips as she glared him down. Hiccup winced and sighed, "Yes, M'Lady."

"Good. I'll see you tomorrow." He expected her to turn away and go back to her way, but was disappointed as he felt another sharp pain spread from his arm to his mind.

"Ow! Why? What was that for?!"

"That. Was for- …nothing. I just felt like doing it," she smirked and went on her way to her chamber. Hiccup sat on the ground as he watched her retreating form. Really, what was up with the people in this country? They were all so… weird. He scratched the back of his head and stood up. He looked back to the empty space again. Urgh, devil. He turned his gaze away and resumed his walk to his chamber. As his legs worked for him, his mind went over the many possibilities how the Princess could be painted. Maybe some horns here and a bat tail there and it would be perfect. He snorted at himself and shook his head. Really, he had a very, very, _very_ long stay to look forward to. May god stand beside him and guide him through this hell on earth.

* * *

Date of Update: 17th February 2016

 **~ KeGzZ**


	3. Chapter 3

**Mine or Yours – The Man In Black**

* * *

Hiccup's heart beat fast. His senses were working full time as he avoided the greatest doom he ever met. Why did he even agree to that stupid deal? Stupid, stupid him. He let out a sigh and let his guard down for now. He was in his chamber, working on some black leather. Hiccup had purchased it on his journey with Gobber along with a few needles and black wool. Somewhere along the journey, he let a woman work the wool into strings. That is how he ended up here, sewing his own armor. Gobber told him that he could just get the armor from King Alphonse but Hiccup had refused. He did not like standing out and he preferred to match Toothless. He had finished his pants just a while ago and was now working on his breastplate, or rather, what was supposed to be a replacement for a breastplate. It left his arms naked and bare – just as he liked it. That way he could move around better. He sewed for another few hours and worked on his armguards and belt until his back could not take it anymore. He dropped the half-finished armguards on his table and stretched his back. Looking at his progress, he realized that he still lacked material. As he sighed, he stood up and pulled the cloak over his shoulder.

On the way, he passed the same wall again, where the empty space was still waiting for the painting of the Princess. Though, this time he did not stop at his track to look at it. He passed it and moved towards the stable. He did not enter it though. Instead, he put two fingers in between his lips as he let out a melodic whistle. Toothless' eyes snapped open and lifted his head. Hiccup whistled again and Toothless began to shove the door open. Hiccup trusted Toothless with his life and knew that he would not escape if he unlocked the door. He did not like the thought of trapping Toothless anyway. Toothless looked around to search for that particular black leather that only Hiccup possessed. He found it hanging on the wall and knocked it with his head down. He picked it up and went out of the stable, dragging the saddle behind him. Hiccup smirked and went over to lend him a hand. He lifted the saddle while Toothless lay down on the ground to make it easier for him to put the saddle on. Really, what would he do without him?

Hiccup made sure that everything was at its rightful place before he mounted Toothless. "Let's fetch some things, shall we, bud?" Hiccup told him with a smile. The black mustang just looked forward and waited for the kick before they both went off and left the castle. After they turned at the corner, Astrid came out of the stable. She wore a look that held confusion as well as admiration. She never saw a horse do something as… selfless (?), no, rather human, as that black horse had just did. Not to mention that it was probably well trained and to some extent intelligent. How did he _do_ that? Suddenly, overcome with curiosity, she decided to follow him. She went to retrieve Stormfly, her horse, and hopped onto her. She was about to leave the castle when a certain black-haired macho blocked her way.

"Out of my way, Snotlout!" she yelled, not stopping in her tracks.

"No princess goes without her- Woah!" Snotlout ducked as Astrid forced Stormfly to jump over them. Snotlout felt how her hooves barely graced his hair. That girl was insane, absolutely insane. And that was exactly why he followed her everywhere. It all had started out with his father forcing him to become a knight of the royal family. At first, he had just groaned in frustration as the training went on dry and boring. But when they promoted him to an official knight, he was immediately put into Astrid's security unit. The first time he saw her was as you might imagine – she was perfect. Perfect enough to get his interest, and that had to say something, right? And he was perfect too, so they were a perfect match. But he knew how the king always went on about maintaining the royal blood as clean as possible, which meant that Astrid was only to be married to a blonde, blue-eyed prince or noble. Tough luck. He turned around and followed her with a sigh. He did not know how much he could take until he would seriously die out of tiredness.

While Snotlout's eyes were all on Astrid's back, Astrid's eyes were on Hiccup's back… in the far. Gods, how fast was he? She leaned down a bit and muttered, "Come on, girl. I know you can keep up." Astrid kicked her heels and Stormfly took it up a notch, closing in on the black duo slowly but surely. She looked behind for a moment and watched as she left Snotlout behind. A grin formed on her face as she praised herself for bringing down two flies in one go. Her eyes were back to the one surrounded by the darkest hue there was on earth. From behind, he looked like a reaper. The way the cloak floated and how fast he cleared his way was as if he was on his way to guide the souls to heaven. Someone who floated between space and time, reality and fantasy, past and future, life and death. He was quiet one day, and another one he would keep on stuttering apologies to her. She followed him for a long while and noticed that she was really curious about his body. The cloak that surrounded him made it difficult for her to make out his build. She was definitely not checking him out. She was just taking notes as she researched her new rival… or enemy.

Her eyes narrowed when he entered a large crowd of people. Shit, how was she supposed to find him there? She slowed down and was immediately greeted by the citizen. Children smiled and pointed with a finger in her direction, calling out her name as they jumped joyfully. The parents would keep them away from her as to not disturb the Princess and Astrid was grateful for that. If there was one thing she could not handle, or did not know how to handle, it was kids. Sure, her father expected her to have some in the future and she too wanted to have her own child, and she _loved_ children, but that was very far in the future. She wanted to enjoy her life a little bit more, independent from all the expectations that burdened her. Adrian was heir anyway, so why were they so eager to marry her off? She was lucky there was no noble out there, who was blond, had blue eyes and was on good terms with her father. She thanked the gods that there was no _prince_ with that appearance out there. All the blind dates that her father had set her up with were, to put it in one word, catastrophic. They were all jerks, arrogant, and so sure of themselves that they might be _the chosen one_ just because they matched her father's description. Either they would creep her out or she would make sure to scare them away. And every time her axe had helped her out more than enough. Her axe. Did she mention that she loved her axe? She loved it. If her axe were a human, she would marry it right away. If there was one trait she now detested more than anything, it was boys with blond hair and blue eyes, except Adrian of course. Luckily, Fishlegs and Tuffnut did not possess blue eyes. They were unique in their own way, but they were a nice company.

She stayed on top of Stormfly as she looked over the heads of her people, searching for that particular black cloak. Really, how often do you see someone dressed in only black? Right, never. So why could she not find that scrawny guy that still owed her a rematch? She hopped down and sighed. She had lost sight of him. Sometimes she thought that she was caught in a game of hide-and-seek, while she is stuck with the role of searching him. Moreover, she never found him until she really gave up on it. And Astrid Hofferson never gave up.

"You're so mean, Princess , leaving me behind like that." She snapped her head around to find Snotlout looking at her with these… desiring eyes. Ew, thank the gods he had no blond hair. He was the last person she would like to end up with.

"I told you to leave me alone," she reminded him with a cold voice as she led Stormfly through the crowd, her eyes focused on everything that may fit the description of black, tall and scrawny.

"But that's my job!" he said full of pride as he followed her, Hookfang close behind him. Astrid groaned and let her hand slide over her face. Nothing would get through that thick skull of his. _Just blend out the background noise and search. Keep your calm. You're better than that._ Astrid just continued her search while Snotlout talked like a waterfall, not stopping at the compliments to himself and to her, mostly to himself. One day she would probably kill him, but not today. She still had to search for a particular someone.

…

Hiccup hummed as he went with his fingers over the cloth. It was really soft and thin enough as to not hinder him in his movements. Yep, he would take it. "Excuse me. How much do you have of this, Ma'am?" he asked as he pointed to the black, soft silk. He had searched everywhere for black cloth and nearly every store did not have it, saying that it was an unpopular color and too expensive. After a long search, he had finally found a small stand in a small alley. The woman turned away from another customer and looked at him and where he pointed at. "Ah! I have enough of that in store."

"How much?"

"Hm. Probably a chest full of it. Doesn't sell good, y'know?" she said before she turned back to the customer, thanking her for her purchase. She put the silver coins away and came up to Hiccup who rubbed his chin. While he went over the sizes and amount of what he still needed, the lady looked at him. He wore a black shirt that looked extremely good on him. Normally people did not like black since they connected it with death and darkness. However, this young man who was standing before her made the color glow in some sort of way. Maybe it was her lucky day and he would purchase the whole chest of black silk that she so desperately tried to sell these last few weeks.

"Alright," Hiccup said as he took the pouch that hung on his waist. He took out five gold coins and handed it to the woman who looked up at him with disbelief. Hiccup caught her expression and worried for a moment. Back in Berk he had to pay seven gold coins for a chest full of silk. It was hard to get his hands on it since Trader Johann always went on about what a pain it was to search for black silk all over his journey.

"I'm sorry," he said ashamed and took out another gold coin, adding it to the five on his other hand and held it out to her. "Are six enough?" She was still looking at him with her mouth agape and Hiccup was about to add another one when she spoke up.

"Of course! That is more than enough, young man. Just give me a minute, I'll go get the chest," she said and nearly stumbled over her feet as she went off to fetch him the chest. Actually, she had paid only one gold coin for the whole chest since the one who sold it was really desperate to get it away from his store. Normally people had to pay three gold coins for a chest and suddenly there was a young man who was ready to pay twice as much. She would be a fool as to not accept that offer. She dragged the chest from behind her to the young man and put it down. She opened it and revealed the black silk that lay inside. She watched as Hiccup's eyes widened in joy and disbelief.

Hiccup did not expect there to be so much black silk. Silk! Try finding black silk on Berk. _Black_. _Silk_. Right. No chance in hell would you find it anywhere on Berk. Yep, it was definitely worth the money.

"I don't need the chest. Can I have a bag instead?" he asked and the woman nodded instantly, as she brought him a large bag. While she did, he took out a reel of the silk and let it unroll downwards. It was large, large enough to make another cloak. Yep, definitely worth. He rolled it together again and stuffed all the silk in the bag. After that, he gave the woman the six gold coins. She looked at it and then back to Hiccup, who smiled at her. Guilt. She sighed and smiled back, albeit not as enthusiastically.

"Normally, three gold coins would have been enough," she said slowly, her hands trembling. She was really tempted to just keep the gold coins. She was also sure that the young man would probably take three gold coins back now, after she told him. Stupid, stupid honesty. However, against her predictions, Hiccup just smiled even wider and answered, "Don't worry. I have been looking everywhere for it. And it's also in a good condition. In my opinion, they are definitely worth six gold coins."

The woman let out a relieved sigh and Hiccup smirked. Then the woman laughed and let out another relieved sigh. "You are by far the best customer I've ever met."

"Thank you." he answered before he whistled a melody - pretty loudly - and for a moment the woman wondered what that was supposed to mean until a black horse turned around the corner and stopped next to Hiccup. The sight she was greeted with was probably a first. In her whole life she had never seen a black horse. And never had she seen a black horse and a man dressed in black fit together so good as the two that stood before her. Hiccup swung the bag over his shoulder and then on Toothless.

"What is your name, young man?" she asked, curiosity getting ahead of her. Hiccup pulled the cloak from the saddle and pulled it over. Then he mounted Toothless and looked to the woman with a polite smile. "Henry."

"Henry, huh. My name is Linda. If you ever need silk again, I'll be at your service." Linda gave him a wide smile which he returned too before he was on his way again. The woman looked at his retreating back and when he was out of her sight, she went back behind her stand and waited as she always did – for customers to find her in that small alley.

Hiccup looked into the bag and thought about what he needed next. He still had enough strings to sew and his needles were still sharp. He hummed and looked around, hoping that his surrounding would help him. He already had pants and boots. His breastplate was nearly finished. He only had to cover the insides with silk and sew them together. He would make his gloves out of the silk as well. Then it struck him, his armguards. Sure, leather was all nice and good, but it would not protect him if a blade were to _accidently_ land on his arm. He rolled his eyes at his thought. Sure, of course people would go for his arm when his neck was exposed so much.

Anyway, he needed to find a forge. He should go back and ask Gobber about it. If there was a person who should know, it had to be Gobber. He worked in the forge whenever he was off duty in Berk. Then again, he did not want to meet the Princess, so might as well take a look around the village he was going to stay at for a while. Hiccup noticed how peaceful it was. Probably as peaceful as Berk was until the attack. Peace seemed to foreign now. His heart was a wreck and his mind shattered into a thousand thoughts and strings that linked them together. Children that laughed, people who struggled and people who lived. They _lived_. How about him? Did he live? Sure, his body was alive, but what about his heart and mind? He had felt empty and cold for a while now and it bothered him. He was not supposed to feel all these negative emotions. He had never experienced them and it was the first time that life had taken a turn against him. He thought that it was god's punishment to burden him with all the future responsibilities. But that was before everything went down, before _Berk_ went down.

Hiccup shook his head and tried to distract him with something else. He should not think like that. That is not how his father had raised him. He took a deep breath and calmed down slowly. Really, it was so easy to get worked up lately. He was not used to it and he did not like it – not one bit. He sighed and was about to head back to the castle when his eyes found a suspicious man whispering to another one. Their eyes were narrowed and dark and focused on someone who was at the center of a crowd. He looked to the crowd and searched for somebody who might stand out and at that very moment, he thought that god probably really hated him.

There was this familiar blonde hair and that overly familiar voice that he heard just the night before. In the end, he walked straight towards the person he did not want to see the most. There was someone in a silver armor standing next to her while he tried to keep the crowd back. His eyes focused back on the girl again. Astrid was laughing and smiling while she held a little girl in her arms. She seemed nervous but also happy and relieved. Her laughter echoed in his ear and time slowed again. People passed him and wanted to share a moment with their Princess he watched her face. She was laughing and smiling, something he had not seen yet. He blended out every noise that was not her laughter while he slowly approached her. It was as if she had cast magic on everyone and suddenly people were attracted towards her like a spell.

The knight that seemed to accompany her had his back turned to her while he tried to keep the crowd at bay. Hiccup smirked at himself as the knight in shining armor lost control over the situation bit by bit. He still wondered who had made up the silent rule that a Princess would fall for a knight in shining armor? Like, really? As if a normal armor could make a person. Then again, his father had explained to him one day that it did not mean that a knight in shining armor had to be a knight. It was just a way to call someone who would save the Princess one day from whatever problem there was out there. And the Princess did not have to be a Princess. A Princess could be a farmer's girl as well. That time, when his father had explained it to him, he did not fully understand him, but now he did – to some extent. He still did not know the real meaning behind it and he did not care. Not yet.

Suddenly he felt a cold shiver running down his spine and he searched for the source. _Where? Where was it?_ His eyes were roaming the crowd and the uneasiness grew. He blinked when something blinded him for a moment and he held his breath – a sword. Toothless could not move because of the people that blocked his way and it annoyed him. Hiccup jumped down immediately and pushed himself through the crowd. Yes, the Princess was evil and yes, he was so going to hear it later. But the way she laughed and smiled was something he wanted to protect at any cost. Even if she was some crazy, violent tomboy. Even if she nearly broke his ribs. That smile was radiating and definitely worth protecting. He rushed through the gaps got a few complaints as he pushed his way through. He looked to the side and watched as the man drew the sword. He had totally forgotten that the royal family was not always loved. It was the same back on Berk. How could he even forget? And then he was at the front of the crowd that surrounded Astrid. There was only a few feet keeping the people away from her and she was such an easy target. She really should be more conscious of herself. Her eyes fell on him and her smile dropped. She was about to scold him again until she saw him draw his sword. _He can't be serious_! She was holding a little girl in her arms, how dare he raise a sword against her when she was as good as defenseless. He swung and all she could do was tighten her embrace around the girl as she held the girl's head in her hand. She closed her eyes and felt the air hiss at his speed. And then-

 _Clang_.

She was waiting desperately for the pain that should have now already coursed through her body. But she felt nothing, no pain at all. Astrid could hear how the crowd gasped, which caused her to open her eyes. Slowly, her eyes adjusted and the sight that greeted her surprised her for a moment before she realized what had happened. All she could see was Hiccup standing right in front of her as he gritted his teeth with a desperate gaze. His sword seemed to be somewhere behind her so she turned around to look and nearly dropped the girl she held in her arms. Nobody of the crowd dare to make a move forward, rather, they took several steps back. No one wanted to risk the Princess' life as well as the young girl's. Snotlout, just realizing it now that someone tried to assault the Princess he was to protect, moved in an instant to pull Astrid and the girl away from the two men that were now all by themselves. Some women had already taken their children and pulled them as far away from the scene as possible as to not risk their children's lives. And soon the crowd consisted mostly of men. Some women stayed. But only those who had no child to take care of, or nothing better to do.

Hiccup's blood boiled with excitement and hunger. It had been a while since he had the chance to kill someone with just. At the realization of what he had just thought, he shook his head and focused on the man in front of him again. He was not allowed to kill. He would not kill. Knock him out, that was the solution. The man, impatient as he was, pulled his sword back before he swung again. His task was to hurt the Princess, not to kill her. But then this man in black came forth ruining his plan! He would have run immediately if he had not seen these green eyes. For some reason, he felt safer fighting against him than running away. An instinct told him that the young man would have killed him instantly if he even made the slightest move to flee.

Hiccup saw the routes, the spots and all the possibilities forming in front of him again. The spots changed as the man moved. The man was swinging wildly at him, as if he were attacking out of desperation instead of bloodlust. He was… afraid. Of who? Hiccup met his eyes and the man twitched before he pulled his sword down again. Hiccup parried it and was confused. Why was he afraid? He could just pull away and surrender himself, talk and confess. Something stung his heart at the thought and Hiccup focused on the man. If he did that… it would be boring. And disappointing. Really disappointing. Hiccup got fed up with his pitiful attempt to attack and decided to end it. He waited for a wide swing and when the man indeed pulled back wider than normally, Hiccup ducked and rushed forward in an instant. The man panicked and turned around hastily and his eyes were about to focus on the boy again before everything became a blur and suddenly black. Hiccup let out a breath he did not realize he had held in and watched the man fall down to the ground. He relaxed his arms and calmed down a bit. He had spun so quickly that it was mere luck he actually hit the man at the temple. If just another inch to the right or to the left, the man might have gone blind or deaf. Or _nearly_ blind and deaf. At least, everything ended well.

Hiccup turned to Astrid who still held the girl protectively in her arms. She relaxed and all she wanted to do was to find something to nag at him, but in the end, he had saved her. And the girl. He was mysterious. One day he helps her, the other day he nearly kills her. Then he apologizes and afterwards he saves her. What the hell was up with that guy anyway? Was there at least _anything_ that was normal about him? She thought for a moment before she came to the conclusion that there was absolutely nothing normal about that guy. If he were not an acquaintance of Gobber, she might have mistaken him for a criminal.

Hiccup looked at the crowd and wondered why nobody moved. He had just saved the Princess, so why was everyone silent? He looked at the man that lay at his feet and kicked him lightly to reveal his face once more. He seemed to be somewhere between 30 and 40 years old. Why would someone like him attack the Princess? He sighed as his mind did not want to work for the moment and gave up on putting the puzzle together. Then a girl cried and kicked his leg as she went down to the man and protected him with her arms spread out. "Don't hurt daddy!" Hiccup raised his eyebrow and wanted to reassure the girl that he would not hurt him. He could not move anyway. He approached the girl slowly and watched as the girl flinched. Just when he was about to crouch down, Astrid called out to him. "Henry!"

And then he felt a sharp pain on the back of his head before he blacked out.

* * *

Date of Update: 19th February 2016

 **~ KeGzZ**


	4. Chapter 4

**Mine or Yours – Who I Am**

* * *

Tired. Exhausted. His body felt heavy as he slowly came back to his senses. Hiccup tried to open his eyes but the moment he faced the sunlight, he squinted his eyes close again. It stung and he was sure that he could stay in darkness for a little while longer if it meant that he could avoid that pain. That was the first wave. Then his ears regained its senses back too and he listened as someone hummed a melody. At the same time, he heard something rubbing against metal. The sound he picked up one by one increased and a sharp pain forced him to block out the unnecessary noise. That was the second wave. At last, he tried to remember where he was or where he had been before he fell asleep. He did fell asleep, right? Memories slowly flooded his mind and that was the third wave of pain he had endured before everything came back together.

He had been in the village, bought the material he still needed and then he found Astrid, much to his surprise… or demise. For some reason he found himself saving the Princess and then- … what happened then? He opened his eyes again, this time it did not hurt so much when his eyes met the light. Hiccup tried to move and groaned when every inch of his body screamed of exhaustion. He barely noticed how the humming had stopped and looked around. He was on a bed, one of many that were in this room while only few were occupied. There was someone coughing on the bed while next to him lay an old man with a broken arm, snoring. He turned his head to the other side and froze. Astrid sat next to him as she held a dagger in her hand and a cloth in the other one.

" _Finally_ awake." A smirk formed itself onto her lips while she watched him with amusement. He looked horrible. She kept staring at him as he sat up and moved to lean against the head of the bed.

"What happened?"

"Somebody knocked you out."

He turned his head to meet her eyes and looked at her with a baffled gaze. She smirked again and shrugged as she leaned into the chair.

" _Why_?"

Astrid could not hold it anymore and laughed, holding her stomach as she gasped for air. Had she gone crazy? Was his question so weird? Really, what had he missed? She calmed down after a while and grinned at him. _That grin_. That was why he had stepped out and protected her. Because of that very grin. It was not a smile, not yet. But that grin was genuine and so full of joy, so magical that he could not comprehend what was going on anymore.

"You really don't understand it, do you?" she asked him, biting on her bottom lip as she tried to hold back another fit of laughter. He narrowed his eyes at her and got annoyed.

" _No_. Enlighten me."

And then she smiled at him, a bit pitifully, but she still smiled. His breath got knocked out of his lungs at the sight and he calmed down in an instant. He swore, that smile was god's own creation and therefore sacred and holy. As if she were the red apple, that god had warned humanity from – a seducing delicious and beautiful, yet poisonous and forbidden fruit. Astrid chuckled a bit and met his eyes, causing all his senses to freeze at the same time, before she decided to let him have fun as well.

"Somebody knocked you out," she said again and Hiccup was about to groan in annoyance when she added, "because they thought that you were the criminal." And his mouth closed. And opened again.

"Say what?" She laughed again, although not so strong this time.

"The people thought that you were the culprit who had struck down the one who they thought wanted to protect me and the girl. They got the roles mixed up. Snotlout had yelled at the man who had swung a wooden plank against the back of your head, telling them to – let me quote him – _open their fucking eyes_ before they take action. When I explained them that _you_ were the one who had saved me and the girl, the man broke down into an apologizing mess."

Hiccup's mouth was still open. He tried to form a sentence, a sentence that could represent the thoughts that went through his head. Yet, all he managed to press out of his mouth was, "Huh?" He wore a dumbstruck face, not quite understanding what she had just told him. The people thought that he was the villain!

"Why would they think that? I- I clearly saved you!" He let his head fall back, temporarely forgetting that it was on pain until the back of his head met the cold wall, shooting a thousand needles through his head and causing him pain. He groaned at the touch and yanked his head away from the wall again.

"Easy there. Should I remind you that you were wearing mostly black clothes?" she quipped and crossed her arms in front of her chest. Hiccup raised an eyebrow at that comment and narrowed his eyes. "What is _that_ supposed to mean?"

"Well, you know, most villains are wearing dark clothes and you were literally muffled in black. So they probably thought that you were the villain. And the little girl that stood up for the real culprit just made it worse – for you – since she did not know anything about what her father had really intended." She waved her hand in the air and pointed with her index finger practically at nowhere while she talked.

"That, M'lady, is a very unproven prejudice. And very biased. On nothing." Hiccup imitated her and crossed his arms in front of his chest, trying to prove his point. At the mention of her nickname, a shiver ran down her spine, causing goosebumps to surface on her skin.

"Urgh, don't call me that!" she snapped at him, rubbing her arms to show how uncomfortable she felt at being called so. He sighed and held his head, rubbing softly at the spot where he was hit.

"Well, what should I call you then, _Princess_?"

Another wave of goosebumps and shivers. Astrid gave him her most disgusted face that she could make and shook her head violently, her bangs moving alongside her head. She thought about it for a moment. It was not new to her to be called Princess. Nevertheless, it was certainly uncomfortable to be called M'lady. She could tell him that he should call her like everyone else does but for some reason, she did not want that. He was unique, he was strange and he was weird. But under all that weirdness lies somebody he had not shown yet. Someone he tried to suppress. Someone who was able to kill her in under a minute. And for whatever unlogical reason, she wanted to unlock him that cage that is keeping him at bay. And tame him. He was not like the others, he spoke out his mind, although he was in her presence, in the presence of a Princess. Sometimes she would catch him when he slips up and talks informally to her for a second before he corrects himself. Whenever he did that, it felt… refreshing. For once, she had the feeling that she could talk to someone without her title sitting on her neck. Whenever they talked, she could feel the title vanish into thin air and everything that was left, was Astrid – was herself. And that is what she wanted. Being seen as herself.

"Call me Astrid."

Hiccup's head snapped back to her and his eyes widened. She had just told him to ignore her rank and talk to her as an equal. Basically they _were_ equals but she did not know that, which is why it surprised him all the more. Then again, he knew what it felt like to long for someone who would talk to him as a friend. A real friend, not a political one, a _real_ one. As a Prince, or in her case Princess, people longed for a good relationship to him or her, trying to benefit from it. It made it hard to trust and talk to them. Everything he said could be used against him and that is why conversations with nobles were so exhausting. They were literally waiting at your feet and remembering every word that left your tongue because he was royal. Because he would be the next king. And who did not want to be friends with a king?

He had no problems accepting her terms but he wondered what people from the outside would think about it. They would probably call him a bad influence or a pitiful son of a farmer who knew no manners. He shook his head mentally and stopped. That was exactly why he got hurt so easily, because he cared for what the people thought about him. He had to stop caring. Stop trusting, stop listening. The Princess told him to call her that and that was it. It was not a request. It was an order, even if she probably did that unconsciously. He looked at her and smiled – a genuine and sincere one.

"With pleasure." His reply as well as the way he smiled at her took her off guard. No way in hell could someone smile like that if there was no deeper meaning behind it. Had she managed to put a crack in his defense? She choked down the smirk that was about to form on her lips. Victory. A small one, but a victory all the same. Normally people would deny her that request because it would attract too much negative opinions of the other people but he did not care. She appreciated it.

…

"Is there a forge nearby?" he asked while he pushed himself up. It was hot and his vision still blurred from time to time but it got better steadily. He had removed his shirt for he was convinced that nobody would search for him. So the only one who could judge his body was Gobber, who trained him and after all the years of shirtless training, it did not bother the two men even the slightest.

"Aye. I think Alphonse had mentioned something about an unoccupied forge. Seems like a blacksmith had died recently, leaving that forge empty for weeks now," he said, pulling at his moustache as he recalled the king's words. "You going to tinker something new again?"

"Yeah." He pushed himself down. "I'm working on my armor. I just need it for my armguards." He pushed himself up again. His arms screamed and his abdomen hurt from holding the straight posture for so long. He adjusted his feet again, trying to ease the hurt when he felt something pushing him down slightly.

"Down with that butt." Gobber pushed until his back and legs were like a straight wooden plank again. Hiccup groaned and felt how the blood flowed from his head down to his arms. He liked Gobber, no doubt about it, but his training was hell.

"Anyway, I don't think that's a good idea, lad. Why don't you just wear the knight's armor? Would save you much trouble." Gobber stood next to him as he observed his training.

"And look like a man in shining metal which is an easy target? Not to mention that it's heavy."

"At least, people wouldn't mistake you as a villain." Gobber chuckled and grinned, his golden tooth shining in the sunlight.

"No thanks." Another push-up. "I prefer black. That way I can blend in with Toothless." Gobber hummed as he continued to stroke his moustache. "Well, if you say so. But aren't you looking more out of place that way?" Hiccup halted for a moment, but resumed after a few seconds with his push-up's, staying silent as he thought about it.

"Probably. But it's not like I want to blend in with the people here." His answer came close to a whisper as he pulled himself together to finish the last few push-ups.

"What do you gain from that? Hiccup, we're staying here for a long while. Maybe we'll even _live_ here!" Hiccup gritted his teeth and stopped, standing up as he stomped towards the old man. Every step was bursting with anger and his nostrils flared up for a moment before he came to a halt in front of Gobber, raising a finger. He then pointed to the ground, "I will not _live_ here! Dad is out there waiting for me to come back! This is just a temporary stay! Hell, I would have stayed if you hadn't dragged me with you!"

"And then what?! Let you get yourself killed by those hooligans?! Hiccup, if you had stayed, then you would-"

" _What,_ Gobber?! What would I have done?!"

"You would've lost yourself in that mess!" the man yelled at him, making the young man flinch and step back for a moment.

"What do you mean?" Hiccup glared at the man who did the same to him. He could play the same way Hiccup did.

"You would have killed them-"

"Because I had to!"

"- with joy."

Hiccup closed his mouth, now looking at the man who wore a worried gaze. "Look, I don't doubt that you would have been useful to everybody if I let you step out there. But I know, _we both know_ , that you wouldn't have killed them out of duty or revenge or whatever reason there is to justify your act. You would have killed, and enjoyed it nonetheless. And that is why your father and I agreed to take you away." The man let his hand slide over his face as he sat down.

"I can control myself. I haven't killed in years! I-"

"No Hiccup. You nearly killed Astrid if I hadn't stepped in. Whenever there is an opponent who seems to be worthy of your attacks, you go all out. I know you've been working hard to keep yourself in check, but that's not enough. That time, when you looked down on the kid who you had broken his arm of, you wore that look. As if he had deserved it, as if you thought nothing wrong of it. I know that you know that everything that's going on in there, in your head, is bad. Really bad. And I don't know how or why that something is inside you. Sure, your father had killed, but he hated it. And your mother was a peaceful woman. She would have never wanted to see you that way." Gobber sounded sad and worried at the same time. Hiccup looked at the man and did not know where to begin. Everything Gobber had said was true and Hiccup himself knew as well that there was no way he could have gotten that trait from his parents. Yet, the old man did not know how he himself suffered. How it felt when people looked at you without trying to understand you, judging you, because of your title. People who wanted to see you go down. Only because you had something that they had not.

But whenever he was about to justify himself, to explain somebody why he was that way, the words got stuck in his throat. His breathing quickened as he realized that he was once again not able to voice his thoughts, coming close to hyperventilating. He hated it. He hated himself. For not being able to say it aloud – to make it _clear_. Was there even a way to explain it without people judging him? There probably was not. Not even Gobber would be able to understand him. So he remained silent and evened his breath. It was not the first time Gobber had seen him react that way. He knew that the boy had something he wanted to scream out and yell. Everytime he waited for him to do it, ready to take whatever the boy had in store. But just like before, he decided against it and forced himself to calm down. That was the saddest part of it. As if he did not trust him. But he would not push him. It _still_ was a delicate topic and one wrong move could make him close his heart off entirely.

How many times had the two of them reached that point now? Gobber had lost count of it long ago and it would not make sense to resume the count again. His thoughts wandered to his old friend who he had to leave behind in order to protect this young man. Sure, Gobber could watch over him, train him, teach him and talk to him. But he will never be able to give him the security of a real father. There was a limit to how match Gobber could take over for Stoick. In the end, there were still tasks that only Stoick himself could do and that was what Hiccup needed the most. He sighed while he watched Hiccup. The boy had already turned his back on him and took his shirt from the ground, pulling it over his head. He took his sword and walked towards Gobber again.

"Where's the forge?"

"If you head out of the castle and take the road you use to get to the village, you should reach a point where the road splits into two roads. Just turn right instead of going straight like you normally do and then you'll find the forge there. Alphonse told me that we could do whatever we like with that forge, so it's all yours. I have my hands full with the knight apprentices here." Hiccup already took off and left the man behind who was now waiting for the other kids to arrive for their training. He had told Gobber that he did not wish to be in the same presence as the others, which only doubled his worktime. Sometimes, that boy was really a handful.

Astrid had been searching for him and did not find him in the hall or in his chamber. She looked around and halted at the spot where her painting was supposed to be. If she remembered correctly, she had seen Hiccup staring at that empty spot several times. Sometimes he looked at it for seconds, sometimes for minutes, and sometimes he would pass it with a short glance. Was he wondering why it was left empty? Why would he? Did he even know that she was supposed to be on that spot? Now, she too found herself lost in her thoughts as she looked up to that empty spot. Maybe she could give it another try, just to complete the row of paintings. It did look a bit weird if one painting was missing in between all those royal lineages. She would just need to sit still for hours and fake a sweet smile. No problem… To hell with that. It was a huge problem. She did not know how to _fake_ a smile. It always seemed forced or hilarious, as the painter always said. She had given up on it because she thought it was troublesome. It was only a painting, who would care? He would care. _Of course_ he would care. As she debated with herself if she should give it another go or not, she felt the air rush slightly when she heard footsteps coming closer. Astrid turned to look at the person who was approaching her. There he was, the one she had been searching the whole time, _again_. She unconsciously smiled at the sight. Maybe because she liked the thought of being equal to him.

"Hey He-" She gulped her words down when she saw his face. The corners of his lips were pulled down while his eyebrows lay low above his eyes that glared at nothing. He glanced at her for a moment before he bowed his head in a silent greeting before he rushed to his chamber. Obviously, he was in a bad mood. Before she realized it, her feet had taken her towards his chamber, her steps vary and cautious. He had left the door open, allowing her to take a glance inside. She watched as he pulled a black leather breastplate over his head, tightening the straps and strings around his body. She turned away again and took the axe from her back, tightening her grip around the handle as she waited with anticipation. She listened as his footsteps neared the door and she held her axe above her head, waiting for the right moment. Of course, she would not hurt him… seriously. Nobody would complain about a little bruise, would they? She grinned and the moment she saw his foot taking a step, she swung. It certainly was foul play and that was a sneaky and unfair tactic, but if it meant that she took him down, Gobber could not complain. He never said how she was supposed to take him down, so it is his fault for not going into detail. However, Hiccup twisted immediately and blocked her attack with his sword, surprising her and causing her to lose balance.

How? She was clearly in an advantage, so how come he could block that? She had been silent and did not make any noise. She looked at him with disbelief while he only gave her a cold and slightly annoyed gaze. Hiccup forced her to step back as he let her axe glide along the blade of his sword and passed her with ease. She was about to jump at him from behind when he spoke up, "If you want to have a successful sneak-attack, you should hide yourself better." She lowered her axe and glared at him, then walking up and next to him.

"I'm pretty sure I hid myself perfectly," she commented with a serious look.

"Your bloodlust was all over the place. I could feel it miles away."

She followed him to the stable and watched as he saddled Toothless. "Where are you going?"

"To the forge." His answer was short and to the point. She figured he might want a bit alone time but then again, it was not her problem. She wanted a rematch. A proper one. Without searching all over the place.

"I'll accompany you."

"Do as you like. I can't stop you anyway."

Astrid's heart fluttered at that response. That was it what she wanted the whole time. Someone who did not make a fuss about politeness and ranks. She grinned hugely, something that Hiccup had missed as he mounted Toothless, and dragged Stormfly out of the stable. Although Hiccup was against her following him, he still waited for her. Something in his chest told him that it was the right thing and so he watched as the Princess got on her horse. He noticed the blue armor on the horse immediately and narrowed his eyes. One day, those armors might hinder her from any escape since it puts unnecessary weight on the horse, making it slower. But who was he to point that out, he was only known as the son of a farmer. When both were ready to go, they made way to the gate, where the black-haired guy already waited. Astrid groaned and rubbed her hand over her face. She did not want him to follow her again so she got ahead of Hiccup and addressed the brawn.

"I've been waiting for you, my Princess."

"I don't need you to follow me everywhere, Snotlout."

By now, Hiccup was right behind Astrid and waited for the Princess to sort out her little argument.

"But Princess, you're not allowed to leave the castle without a guard."

Astrid clicked her tongue and thought for a moment. She looked at Hiccup and grinned as an idea struck her.

"I do have a guard."

"And who would that be if not me?" Snotlout asked, wiggling his eyebrows at her. Urgh, gross.

"Him." She pointed to Hiccup and smirked. "So leave me alone, today."

Before Snotlout could answer or Hiccup could protest, Astrid had already left the gate and was on her way. Hiccup looked at Snotlout for a moment before he bowed his head slightly, leaving as well. Snotlout wore a dumbstruck face, not quite comprehending what had just happened. Astrid had… replaced him! Him! Of all people! And with that scrawny jerk nonetheless! Snotlout was angry, not to mention, furious. He would take care of that guy, even if it meant to play dirty. He had worked his ass off in order to get promoted to the unit, and now that thin guy took his place without even blinking! He would take care of it. He swore he would.

…

Astrid followed right behind Hiccup. He had left his cloak back at the castle, which enabled her to take in his body better. Now that there was nothing obscuring her view, she noticed that he had muscles. At the first glance it would have been unnoticeable, but if one took a closer look, they would find a clean line of muscles around his arms and legs. She did not know why, but he always wore clothes that lay tight on his body, making her analyzing easier. Her eyes wandered from his arms up to his shoulders. They were broad and looked firm. Deep within her was a desire to touch him and to feel those muscles work under the palm of her hands. She quickly shoved those fantasies to the farthest corner of her mind. _Focus_. She checked him out for a while until she got bored of it. He had not uttered a word since their departure and the silence ate away at her.

"So, Henry-" she decided to break the silence but got cut off right away.

"Call me Hiccup."

"Hiccup?" She blinked several times as she took in the new information. "What kind of name is that?"

"It's a nickname. I'm more comfortable with that. Since you allowed me to call you Astrid, I thought that it would only be fair to let you call me by my nickname as well." Hiccup never turned around to address her directly, but spoke to the air in front of him instead. It made talking easier. He could not see her face and her reactions and Hiccup was content with that. It was better that way. The more distance he kept, the less he could hurt her.

"Well then, Hiccup, what do you plan to do when you arrive at the forge?"

"Probably discarding the armor your horse is wearing."

Astrid frowned and glared into his back, and Hiccup swore he could feel daggers stabbing his back right at that moment. "Why?" she hissed, offended yet curious at the same time.

Hiccup looked over his shoulder to meet her eyes for a second before he looked in front of him again.

"It's in the way. You're making your horse work more than necessary. Horses are living beings like we human are and not some kind of decoration for the higher society," he spat at the end. Astrid looked down to Stormfly and gave it a serious thought. She had never thought about it before. Her father had told her to always let her horse wear the armor in case someone attacked her and her horse. Nevertheless, now that she thought about it, whenever she lifted the armor, it _certainly_ was heavy. She looked back at Hiccup and smirked a bit. "You're kind, aren't you?"

"I'm not," he answered with a low voice, his silent back speaking more words than he would tell.

"Of course you are. Nobody would care about a horse as he does with a human. Nobody, except you."

"If that is your reason, then it only means that you all are blinded by your own greed and definitions of _normal_."

"Well, I still think you're kind," she said resolutely, her back straight. Hiccup halted in his tracks and turned to the side in order to look at her directly. His eyes were clouded by something she could not understand. His eyes were narrowed and… empty. Suddenly it got harder to keep her straight and confident posture while he bore stinging daggers into her very soul.

"Let me tell you one thing. It would do you good if you kept your distance from me. Trust me, I'm not the person you think I am." He then turned around again, leaving no room of complaints as he strode forward.

Astrid looked at the retreating back and felt how her heart got slightly heavier. Never would she have guessed that this ache in her heart would grow immensely in the upcoming future.

* * *

Date of Update: 23rd February 2016

 **~ KeGzZ**


	5. Chapter 5

**Mine or Yours – My Voice**

* * *

Hiccup had stopped talking entirely. He even went as far as to pretend that Astrid was not there. How was he supposed to tell her that he was afraid of making friends? Surely, she would think of him as ridiculous. He opened the door to the forge and found it as a mess. At least, he knew why nobody bothered coming to this forge. No sane person would willingly clean the mess that seemed to have no end. But he needed the forge, so he braced himself and got to work. First off, he made note of everything that lay scattered around the forge, listing everything that he would need to repair and buy anew. After a while, he realized that it was too much to remember and went over to Toothless who lay on the grass outside. Hiccup pulled a leather book out of the bag and ripped a piece of paper out, rummaging in the bag for his last supply of coal pen. He then wrote everything down again and moved everything to a corner. After that he made several piles of weapons, goods and tools. At least he had enough metal to make a new armor, not that he wanted to, but it eased his mind to know that he did not have to buy more.

While he occupied himself with cleaning the forge, Astrid sat on a stone outside the forge, watching him through the window as she swayed her legs. Her heart was heavy. It was the first time she felt something as annoying as that. Maybe she ate something wrong? It was not guilt, but it came close to that feeling. She did not know why he was so cold all of a sudden. She meant no harm by telling him that he was kind. She found him intriguing and interesting in a way she never felt about a man… or somebody. Then again, he _was_ in a bad mood and she practically forced herself on him. That was probably not a good idea. Her day had started so good, so full of promise, until she followed him here. For her, it was a chance to enforce the friendship she wanted with him, but somehow everything came crashing down on her.

She had been pretty proud at herself that she did not order him anything. It was hard not to, given the fact that she had given orders her whole life. She was even confident to say that she had found her way into his heart, someway. Yet, why did it feel like she was at the beginning again. As if one wrong word could crush two days' worth of progress. It was frustrating. Astrid had not imagined it to be so difficult to approach him. She liked challenges, no doubt, but she could not shake off the feeling that this was more than a challenge. As time passed on in silence, the uncomfortable feeling in her chest grew and she decided to do something about it. If he was the cause of that feeling, then he should be the solution, right? Simple logic. She hopped off the stone and knocked on the door. She waited for him to turn around but he made no effort to do so. Therefore, she knocked again, just to get the same reaction. Now adding to her growing ache in her chest, anger and annoyance got added onto the plate, causing her to stomp towards him.

"Hey!" she called out loudly, now only a few feet away from him. He still made no sign of reacting, pissing her more off than she already was. She gritted her teeth and closed the gap, pulling at his shoulders to make him turn around. He did, finally, and she immediately grabbed him at the straps that held his breastplate together, pulling him close in. "What is your problem?!"

Hiccup met her eyes with the same anger and irritation that reflected in her eyes. She did not understand him! It was clearly him who was at fault, yet why was _he_ angry? She is supposed to be angry and kick his ass. She is supposed to be the one making the rules, not him! He grabbed her wrist, trying to pull her hand away. When she did not budge, he used a little more force but she still did not give in. She glared at him, waiting for an answer. She was not as frail as he might think of her. And she was _definitely not_ a damsel in distress! She would prove it to him. That arrogant jerk! Her anger was now overwriting the ache that she felt so unfamiliar with and in some way, it relieved her, but it did not mean that her anger subsided.

"What is _your_ problem?!" Hiccup responded finally with a roar, returning her glare just the same. She still held onto the straps, not allowing him to escape from her grasp. She held a fierce gaze as she pulled down every weak wall that stood in her way. How _dare_ he snap at her if he was the one at fault! The fire inside her grew, encouraging her rage to support her voice as she questioned his behavior, her breathing fast and unstoppable.

"What _my_ problem is?! My problem is that you're behaving like a jerk after I went out of my way to actually compliment you!" she yelled as every word that left her mouth just infuriated her more. Hiccup flinched as he watched her actually venting all her anger off at him. His mind was at its limit. It took all he could muster to keep his emotions in check. He had worked on his self-control for years. Nobody had managed to make him lose control for a while and for the very first time in a long while, he feared that she just might be able to do it. Therefore, he made even more effort in hiding his thoughts, his voice, his emotions. What was he doing? He knew full well that he was the one who was responsible for the argument they now found themselves in. He knew that he caused it. And he knew that she deserved an apology. Yet, his mouth did not open. His eyes stayed narrowed and for some reason he could not stop glaring at her, which just made her angrier as the time passed. Fed up with the silence and furious about him not answering, she had to keep herself from actually hitting him. She so wanted to hit him, right across the face, but she knew that it would not solve anything, not in this situation.

"I- I don't even know where to begin! I just wanted to break the uncomfortable silence!"

 _I know..._

"And I thought that maybe we could be friends! I even thought that you were in some way kind! And honestly, there is nothing bad about people saying that you might be _kind_!"

 _I know._

"Yet, you treat me as if I have insulted you! Offended you! And I don't even know why!"

 _I know!_

"I even allowed you to call me by my name and that is how you thank me?! By ignoring me! Is that how it works with you?!" By now she was screaming at him, her face red from the hot excitement mixed with her anger. However, it was not the normal anger she always felt. It was years of pent up frustration, anger, disappointment and annoyance that now flowed out of her, as if a dam had broken.

"If you have anything on your mind, then spill it, because I'm not going to sit here and let myself be treated like some kind of poor excuse of a Princess! The question is not what my problem is! What is _your_ problem?!"

" _EVERYTHING!_ " he shouted at her, his voice booming and overtaking her fit of anger. He had not realized that his heart was racing against his chest while his breathing took up the pace. He had so wanted to keep himself in check but something inside him snapped, causing him to snap at her. Everything he felt and thought got poured into voicing that one simple word. _Everything_. The ends of his hair were standing straight as he felt the urge to get away from her. He needed to escape that grasp or he would hurt her even more. He did not want that. He hated it to hurt people with his words. It did not make a difference if the people treated him kindly or as shit. Whenever he voiced out his thoughts, it would end up to be the complete opposite of everything he actually wanted to say. As if something was preventing him from voicing out his true feelings. A blockade that was unconsciously built around his heart. And now that he knew there was a blockade, it was too late to tear it down – too strong to tear it down. Its roots were somewhere deep within his heart and it would change him completely if ripped out of him. While it surely prevented him from trusting other people, it also helped him to keep control over himself – until now that was. For some unknown reason, that blonde had a way to keep him on alert the whole time. He feared that she might be able to break through his defense if he let his guard down. That would be unheard of, so he strengthened his walls, built more walls and completely shut everything that dreaded to come out of his mouth in a cage of uncertainty and pain.

Astrid had loosened her grip on him, looking straight into his eyes after his outburst. When she was sure that he would not say anything anymore, she turned the switch inside her and let emotions get the better of her. She let him go, watching him as he was about to turn away again but she would not let him. Hell, he deserved what she had in store for him. She balled her hand into a fist and used all the strength that was still left in her after her screaming session. Combined with the anger and excitement that still lingered inside of her, she punched him into the stomach, feeling all her emotions cruising through his body from that very spot. Hiccup clenched his eyes together, as he felt the pain spread, causing his limbs to go numb for a moment. He coughed and held his stomach in hope that it would make any difference, which it did not. Hiccup crouched down, forcing the pain to lessen as he held tightly onto the spot. Just where did that girl get all the strength from anyway?

"So you're not talking, huh? No words of defense, no explanation, nothing?!" she huffed, momentarily satisfied that he was in pain. Hiccup opened his mouth to protest but the words did not come out. He wanted to tell her off so bad. But he could not. He closed and opened his mouth several times, everytime trying to get his thoughts across. Astrid watched him, at some point she got curious. She clearly saw how he struggled to talk and she had plenty of time.

"What would you know?"

 _That is not what I wanted to say._

"You go off and beat me up whenever you feel like it!"

 _That's not it._

"What would it matter if I told you?!"

 _A lot._

"You wouldn't understand it anyway, even if I told you!"

 _I want you to understand._

"So leave me alone!"

 _Stay._

Astrid stood there, eyes widened and frozen. She had expected anything but that. She wanted to believe that he would come to his senses and confide in her. However, here he was, claiming that it had nothing to do with her, that she would not understand him. He did not even try talking to her! He clearly shut her off. Her nails were digging into the palm of her hands as she tightened her fist. She was trembling from the anger that seemed to creep its way back into her heart again, suffocating the small ache in her heart that was so new to her.

"Fine! Do what you want! I don't care anymore!" she spat as she landed one last punch on his jaw, nearly knocking a tooth out, before she left the forge. She mounted Stormfly and rode off, fleeing into the sensation of wind hitting her face as it cooled her head.

Hiccup rested on the ground a little bit longer to let the pain subside. Looking around the forge, he began to make a list again, distracting himself from the fight he just had. When he bent over the piece of paper that lay on the counter, he stared at it. He supported his weight with his arms, his hands on the edge of the counter. Slowly, his grip tightened until his skin paled. While his body trembled, watery drops fell on the parchment. He wanted to scream, to yell, to cry. Frustrated that he cannot do it although he was finally alone, he broke down, crumbling into a depressing mess. Sniffs and hiccups began to fill the forge as he held his head, " _Shit…_ "

…

The days passed in silence. Hiccup had cleaned the forge and made it usable again after his fight with the Princess. He had completed his own armor by now, leaving him more time for other things. Still, somewhere in the far corner of his mind, he missed something… or rather _someone_. Feeling suffocated in the environment, he left the castle more often, mostly finding solace at the forge. It was like a small oasis to him, a place nobody knew was in use again, leaving it empty and peaceful everyday. Sometimes he even spent his nights at the forge. He did not go to Gobber's training anymore since he started training on his own. He did not want to meet her there accidently for he knew that she might sometimes come to the training sessions, although Gobber forbid her from participating. Sometimes he found her sitting and laughing with the same group he had met when he nearly killed her. Snotlout – he found out his name the day before – had sent him smug grins whenever their eyes met. It seemed like he was pleased with the fact that the two kept their distance from each other.

What Hiccup did not expect was that whenever he heard stomping footsteps approaching him, he would expect the Princess to growl at him, to lunge at him, as she did before. But every time he would be disappointed to find someone else in her place. Unconsciously, his eyes would always turn to the blonde when he saw her from afar. His heart clenched every single time he saw her, but he shrugged it off as guilt. No point in regretting something that could not be fixed anymore. He wanted to apologize, to explain her everything that went through his head. But whenever he thought about where to start, his mind would break down. It was always like that, so he forced himself to give up on that thought as well. There were rare times when both passed each other in the halls. Still, when they did, they looked straight ahead, not meeting the gaze of the other. Hiccup had completely shut down the feeling that followed afterwards and Astrid replaced it with anger and hate every time. At some point, he also stopped eating in the castle to avoid being in her presence altogether. He would go into a village or make something himself. The guards, knights and maids noticed the way the Princess and the young man have been around each other and were smart enough not to ask them about it. One day he even happened to hear her shout, "That son of a half-troll can _die_ for all I care!" It had hit a chord inside him, causing his heart to build another wall around the many ones he had already constructed.

Every day went by the same. He would wake up, go on a morning ride with Toothless, stop by at the forge, get something to eat somewhere and spend his day sketching, tinkering or training. That very morning should have been the same. He woke up and pulled over his breastplate, attached the armguards and tightened his belt. His sword hung loosely on his waist, his cloak hiding half of his body while the other half lay behind him, allowing him to draw his sword freely if the situation should ever occur where it was needed. Dark shadows underlined his eyes for he could not sleep much lately. Whenever he passed someone, they would think that a ghost was wandering their halls, just before they realized that it was actually him.

He left the castle and took a different path this time. There was a road leading along the wall that surrounded the royal residence. He thought that he might as well know where he was staying, _temporarily_. He walked along the wall, staying on the road as he took in the scene. A river flowed right next to the castle, allowing the maids an easier access to fresh water. Birds were singing alongside the cheerful chatter of the maids who had not noticed him yet. He resumed his walk and when he turned around the corner to see what lay behind the castle, he stopped in his tracks. There was nothing but one large tree right next to the wall. There was enough space to let it grow to a good and healthy size. And right under that tree sat one girl – the Princess. He wanted to turn away before she noticed him but quickly realized that she was asleep. He relaxed and watched her, slowly approaching with silent steps. If there was one thing he was good at, it was sneaking around the people. He mastered that ability when he was fed up with the lessons his father forced him to sit through.

Hiccup stood a few feet away from her, but it was enough to watch her resting body. _So defenseless_. His eyes wandered down to her boots where something shiny got his attention. He crouched down and took a closer glance, realizing that it was a dagger she hid in there. _Not so defenseless, huh_. It was the first time he actually took a good look at her. He stayed crouched next to her, tilting his head to the side to have a better look at her face. Her bangs covered her forehead and the upper part of her eyes. Her hair was braided to the side, as it was all the time. He supported his head with his arm, his elbow resting on his knee. His eyes wandered from her hair to her face. She had long eyelashes and a cute little nose. He smirked as the peaceful face of her represented the total opposite of her character. Her lips were thin and her eyebrows paled in comparison to her hair, which was like golden waves running down her neck. Her head leaned to her right side as she kept on breathing quietly and gently. The naked crook between her neck and shoulder was surprisingly alluring. If he were not such a coward, he would have touched her there, just to find out how it would feel. He checked out her upper body next and halted at her breasts. At first, they seemed small, but after a while he saw something white peeking out of the hole where her arm lay lazily. He guessed that these were bandages to keep her breasts from bouncing while she moved. Maybe if she loosened her bandages around them, they might fill his hand. He blushed at the thought and pushed it aside immediately.

Her arms were smaller than his, but still strong and firm. The same applied to her legs. Her legs seemed to be just an inch longer then her upper body, which made her even more beautiful. Her waist was not as wide as the maids' but certainly wide enough to give her a feminine accent. All in all, she was beautiful, breathtakingly so. A soft wind blew past him and moved her bangs out of her eyesight for a moment before it returned to its former place. The leaves rustled and in the far, he could hear the birds flapping their wings and singing. For a moment he wished that the fight would not have happened. They could have been friends. Good friends. But he doubted that she even cared for him a little bit after he released his anger towards her. It was not fair. Not for her, at least. He watched her for a long while, as she slept, as her chest rose and fell and let the time pass by as if nothing mattered anymore. He stripped of a flower from the ground and held it next to her hair, judging if the color would fit. It was yellow, making it blend in with her hair. Definitely not. He looked around for other flowers. There were mostly white and yellow ones spread over the grass. He was certain that white would not do it either. Then his eyes fell on a red rose at the edge of the wall. He stood up and picked it up, returning to his spot and crouched down, holding it next to her hair. It was ironic how the rose fit her so perfectly. The red color would represent the passion and the fire inside her while the thorns could hurt you, sting you, like her words and behavior did sometimes.

Slowly, he lifted his hand to remove the thorns one by one, until no more was left. He shortened it afterwards and pulled her hair gently apart, sticking the rose inside her hair. He made sure not to wake her up and when it stuck, he took a step back again, looking at her. Maybe, if she wore a dress, she might look like a real Princess that people only heard of in stories. After a while, he decided that he had stayed long enough and gave her one last look. He opened his mouth for a second, about to apologize, to say something, which could lift the burden off his chest. But he did not say anything. Closing his mouth, he stood up and turned his back to her. There was nothing he needed to tell her – absolutely nothing. As he walked along the wall again, his mind went back to that very girl. With each step he took, he got farther away from her, yet his mind wandered closer to her. His heart beat faster than normally, leaving him out of breath when he arrived back at the castle. His feet took him back to his chamber and when he closed the door, he fell on his bed. His body felt so tired and exhausted although he did not do anything to reach that point. His mind was clouded, hindering him from focusing on anything that he had planned. Maybe, just for a little while, he would let himself take a nap. His eyes closed and without removing his cloak or leather armor first, he easily found his way to dreamland.

…

He opened his eyes slowly and found his muscles sore. He tried to figure out what had caused it, but when he realized his position how he fell asleep as, it was obvious that his muscles were sore. Somebody was yelling nearby and Hiccup groaned, holding his head, trying to shut out the noise. When pillows and blankets over his head did not help, he decided that he might as well find out what caused the tumult. He sighed and stood up, opening the door and looked to the right and to the left, searching for the source of the noise. The yelling came from the right. He closed the door and went down the hall. The noise got louder as he approached the training ground. Gods, how loud did they have to be to make the noise reach his chamber? He rubbed his eyes and went out, seeing a blond man and woman fighting each other as they yelled. He leaned on the stone fence that surrounded the training ground. It was as high as his torso. He lay his arms on it and then his chin on his arms, finding a comfortable position before he settled in. He yawned as he watched them going at their throats.

Hiccup had nothing to do anyway so he guessed he might as well amuse himself by watching two idiots beating each other up. He was far away enough to not get spotted. Snotlout was fighting Gobber with an axe while Gobber just used a wooden staff to counter him. He grinned when the old man had kicked his ass, pushing him off balance and causing him to fall down. He then saw a familiar figure approaching the battlefield. She seemed relaxed, but did not smile. Somehow, Hiccup found himself disappointed at the fact that he did not get to see her laugh.

"Ruffnut! Let's go to the village!" she shouted out, crossing her arms as she waited for the twins to stop fighting. He looked at the rose that still lay in her hair and smirked. For some reason, he was proud that she did not take it off. Maybe she had not noticed it yet.

The twins finally ended their little siblings' war and the girl turned to look at the Princess. She was about to say something but froze half-way. Hiccup grinned as he realized why the blonde had stopped.

"Err, what's that?" she asked, her finger pointing to the rose in her hair.

"What's what?" Astrid quipped, looking behind her. Finding nothing, she turned around to face Ruffnut again.

"The rose."

"What rose? Ruff, if this is a joke, it's not a funny one," Astrid crossed her arms once more and glared at the blonde.

"No really, you have a rose in your hair!" she said. Astrid gave her a suspicious look, but when her eyes met the boys', they too were looking at her hair with a curious gaze. She lifted her hand and searched for the rose that was supposed to be in her hair. Soon, she felt an unfamiliar texture that was _definitely not_ her hair. She pulled the rose out and looked at it, then glared at the boys again.

"What did I tell you about pranking me the last time you did it?!" The question was more directed towards Snotlout and Tuffnut instead of Fishlegs.

"What? That's not even a prank! How dare you accuse the master of pranks of such nonsense! I'm hurt, Princess. I'm very much hurt," Tuffnut exclaimed and made an insulted face. She turned to Snotlout and waited for his explanation.

"Huh? No! It wasn't me! I swear it! At least I know that it is not a successful tactic to impress you with flowers after I bathed you a thousand times with some!"

He could have lied, but Astrid knew that he was somehow telling the truth. Snotlout would not have just put one flower in her head. He would have drowned her in flowers. Whatever he did, he would overdo it. That left one boy. She looked at Fishlegs who flinched and shook his head bewildered. It was not him either. _Maybe…_ She looked at Ruffnut, who was getting lost in the clouds above her, imagining animals and other stuff. If it was not one of them, then who did it? She looked at the rose and noticed the spots where the thorns were removed. She spun it in her hands and tried to put the puzzle together. When she lifted her head, the corner of her eyes found something suspicious. She turned her head to search for the abnormality. Her eyes fell on the spot where Hiccup was supposed to be, just to see no difference there either. However, for some reason the spot felt out of place.

Hiccup had sensed that Astrid was about to put the puzzle together and decided to retreat. He was now in the stable, mounting Toothless. He kicked him lightly and led him out of the stable before he kicked harder. Toothless rushed through the gate and towards the road in front of them. Hiccup got lost in the wind, his mind back with the blonde Princess. He grinned and strangely enough, he felt satisfied. It was amusing, watching her so irritated. It was a beautiful sight when she stared at the rose. And it had been worth to stop next to her and play that little _prank_ , as she called it. He felt awfully satisfied.

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Date of Update: 25th February 2016

 **~ KeGzZ**


	6. Chapter 6

**Mine or Yours – It Feels Right**

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It was strange. Only the sight of her with that rose in her hand made him smile like an idiot. Of course he made sure that nobody would notice that. It would be too awkward to explain the reason behind his good mood. The next day he had taken the same route around the castle and just as he had hoped, he found her lying under the tree, instead of sitting, this time. However, he was smart enough not to approach her yet. He did not know if she was really asleep. She could have pretended to be, in order to lure him out. Deciding to get some distance first, he shifted and made his way back to the castle. The routine was mostly the same again. He would wake up, take a walk and look if Astrid was at the tree. He would spot her every time and turn around too, not risking it to get revealed. Afterwards he would take Toothless on a morning ride to the forge, train by himself and tinker with something or sketch. After the incident with the prank, it was easier for him to take a good night sleep. And just like that, a week had passed.

…

Hiccup smiled at the sight of the Princess. By now, he was sure that she had given up on finding out who had put that rose in her hair. It should be safe to approach her, but only if she was asleep. He watched her for a while before he was sure that he could come closer. He took cautious steps, slowly and silently. What he did not know was that Gobber had followed him too. The old man had seen him take this route several times before and wanted to know where it would take him. It was always at the same time as well. He peeked his head out from the corner and saw Hiccups back. The young man was walking towards a tree. His figure blocked his old eyes, not letting him see what was so interesting about that tree, or what lay there.

Hiccup watched her sleeping figure intently, taking in the sight that lay in front of him. This time he had taken his sketchbook with him. He sat down next to her and stretched out his legs along her figure before he pulled them up close again, using them as a support for his sketchbook. This time, Gobber had full view on the two that were under the tree. The old man grinned when he recognized the Princess. _So_ that _was why he went out here every morning_.

Hiccup sharpened his pen with a knife he hid under his armguards and looked every so often to the side, making sure that she was really asleep. He then looked at her for a long while before he made a rough sketch of her head. He added a vague form of her hair and looked at her again. Her eyes were somewhere in the middle of her face. He added two thin lines on the paper, just around the place where he thought it would suit the best. He drew another thin line that split her face in half. Using it as a reference, he marked where the nose should be. Then he made a rough sketch of her lips. Without realizing it, he had lost track of time and his whole world was circling around that young blonde that lay asleep next to him. His hands worked over the parchment like magic practiced over a hundred years. Each movement he did was to add another strand of her hair or signature of her face. After a couple of minutes, he had a rough sketch down. Looking up at the sky, he made sure that he did not stay too long in order to make his leave in time. The sun was still low and he smiled, knowing that he still had a bit time left. He looked at her face again. Her mouth was slightly agape, her chest rising with each soft breath that she took. Without realizing it, his hands began to work more in detail on her lips. He looked at her, added another few lines, looked again and added the shadow. He changed the pressure as he held onto the pen.

Smiling and relaxing as he drew, Gobber too decided that enough was enough. He turned away and went back to the castle. It had been a while since he saw his apprentice with such a gentle look. Maybe his instinct was not that far off. Maybe that girl was really the key to his heart. Excited, Gobber pulled at his moustache as he formed a plan inside his head. _Gobber the Wingman_. Did not sound so bad, did it?

Hiccup got lost in his thoughts as he added more and more details to the picture he was drawing. He had to be careful not to make a mistake or slip his hand since it would ruin the picture. He added some straight lines and rough shades that were to represent the grass she was lying on. He held his sketch away from him to take a look over the whole drawing. Satisfied for now, he smirked and closed his book, tugging it under his arm before he stood up. Giving her one last gentle gaze, he turned away and went back to the stable where he stored his sketchbook in his bag. After saddling Toothless, he mounted him again and went to the forge.

...

The door creaked as he opened it, entering the forge while the wooden floor gave in as he stepped inside. He pulled his cloak off and hung it on the wall next to the door. As he pulled his armguards off, he let himself fall down on a nearby chair, rubbing his face and pinching the bridge of his nose. He looked around and took everything in for a second before he let out a long sigh. Hiccup tilted his head, cracking his neck in the process before he stood up in order to stretch. He took off his breastplate, leaving himself with a thin, black, sleeveless shirt, which ends were tugged inside his pants. He shook his legs a bit and rolled his shoulders as he went outside again. Toothless was sleeping safe and soundly, making Hiccup smirk in a rather annoyed way. Here he was with more than enough burden on his shoulders and his only yet best friend lay in the grass snoring without any worry. He gave the horse one last glance before he returned to his usual routine. First, he needed to strengthen his core again so he lay down on the ground, his belly flat against the cold hardness. He lifted himself up, his arms supporting his weight, and remained in that position. He counted alongside with his heart beats like usually and was determined to break his record yet again.

Sometimes he would drift off though, his mind going back to that Princess. Nothing had changed. They were still distant and he still did not apologize. He regretted it, among many other things, he regretted this the most. He should go to her, apologize and beg for forgiveness. But he knew that, should the chance arise, he would not take it. He would remain silent and ignorant as he always did. He knew that he could not show her his true feelings… so what about fake feelings? The gears inside his head began to work out another plan that might give him another chance at the friendship. Maybe he could get on her nerves. That way she would be angry with him but still approach him nonetheless. She might curse him among other possibilities, but it would be enough, right? He let himself down, resting for a couple of seconds before he lifted himself again.

Then again, there was a chance that she would ignore him completely, and that would not solve anything. He shook his head. Nope, it would work. It was Astrid. She would probably snap and personally cut his head off. He smirked at the thought and reveled in his fantasies. Or she might beat him up to a pulp again, leaving black and blue bruises on his skin. At least it would match his outfit. He snorted at that thought and went back to counting. Really… for a while now, the Princess had been the one who filled his head. He did not know what to do about it or what that feeling in his chest was in the first place. It was a small ache that had grown over the days into a pain that kept him up lately. Sometimes it even caused him to dream naughty things but in the morning, whenever he woke up, he would have already forgotten about it. It did not help him with his morning wood though. He was a healthy 19-year old young man in the end - who could blame him?

Now that he thought about it, he did not know how old the Princess was. In his opinion, she looked younger than him. The way she acts reminds him of a little girl throwing a fit whenever something does not go her way. He would make sure that his thoughts remained unspoken for he believed that he might meet his death earlier than expected if she were to find out about it. He held himself up for another while until he flipped to the side, landing with his back on the ground. Hiccup looked up to the sky, watching the clouds moving ever so slowly. Maybe he should apologize after all. At least, he could try. He had nothing to lose anyway. He closed his eyes and felt the wind embracing his skin gently. He stretched his arms out, his palms feeling the soft grass underneath, and relaxed.

After a shadow seemed to take place above him, he could sense how the light vanished from his inside vision. The clouds probably moved in front of the sun, he guessed. It was strange. Most people would be afraid of the dark and would only feel safe when they had the sun behind their backs. Hiccup however found the night and the darkness beautiful. Sure, it was easier to fall prey to wild animals and bandits. But it was also the only time to watch the stars on the sky, the moon glowing in its full glory, and the darkness providing a strange safety for those who wanted to hide – who _needed_ to hide. Those who were like him. So many people feared the dark, when yet it was the reason for people to take a rest, to sleep. An immortal clock that told you when you had to go to bed and rest. A cold night that relieved most people in summer from the hot air. A brilliant support for all the light that exist on this world. There was nothing that could show the light's true beauty but the dark. And yet people were too afraid, too ignorant to see the true beauty of the dark. Sometimes, when he thought about it, he would probably be surrounded by the dark as well, should he ever die. There were two way to interpret it. The most assumed one was that after death, all light shall vanish. The other one, his theory, was that after death, the dark would spare him from seeing the sad faces of those he loved. If people, who feared the night were normal, then what about those who loved the night? Would they be abnormal or unique? Crazy or wise? Ignorant or aware?

"I'd like to die…" he muttered aloud. _Just to know how it would feel._

…

Astrid stomped towards the stable, her bad mood clearly visible from the vein that was shown at her temple. People avoided her instinctively, not wanting to risk their head yet. "Bring that to Hiccup, he said. Let him get it sharpen, he said! Maybe I'll let you in on our training then, he said!" she yelled frustrated to herself as she imitated Gobber. The maids flinched when they passed the Princess during her rage and rushed to their destination, not trying to piss her more off than she already was. Astrid pulled the door open and walked towards Stormfly, who in return lifted her head the moment she heard those familiar steps. The girl eyed the horse a moment and decided that a saddle alone would do. It was not like she took Hiccup's advice into consideration. She just did not want to give him something to nag at her. Lately she had been in such a foul mood like never before. The ache that had first been an annoying sting was now robbing her whole mind and energy. She felt awfully tired and confused without reason. She made sure to go to bed earlier and when she had lessons with the elders, she could still think objectively and clearly. So why? However, what angered her the most was the fact that the feeling would only vanish whenever she saw him – _Hiccup_. Whenever she found him passing the halls or mounting Toothless, her heart would finally settle in and calm down, just to replace it with a more confusing feeling lingering inside her.

Nothing made sense anymore. She was still angry with him for yelling at her and telling her off. Sure, she beat him up, but he deserved that. She would never apologize for that, she was too proud to do so. After saddling Stormfly, she pulled herself on her back and kicked her at the sides. Leaving for the cause of the storm inside her, she braced herself. She would not attack him unless necessary. She would not talk to him unless necessary. And she would never ever admit to him or herself that he might be the key to that uncomfortable feeling inside her chest. Never ever, ever, _ever_ , e-

Stormfly slowed down and stopped after a while. Astrid grimaced at the sight. Why the hell was he lying on the ground? She sneaked up on him, making sure that she made no noise on her way that could alarm him. When she was close enough, she saw his face. His eyes were closed. Did that mean that he was asleep? He was so careless. She could strangle him and he would not be able to do anything against it. She could ram a dagger through his chest and he would have no escape. She did not dare move away, her eyes fixated on him. The ache inside her had vanished again, leaving her heart racing uncontrollably. She wanted to take a closer look and crouched down, her head over his face as she watched his feature. Just when she was about to check him out, she heard him mutter, "I'd like to die…"

Her heart sank. Then it hurt, painfully so. From all the words that left his mouth so far, these were the most painful words she had ever heard. Not knowing where to direct these feelings towards to, she punched his chest yet again. Hiccup snapped his eyes open and groaned at the pain. He did not even realize who it was since he shut his eyes unconsciously again, focusing on mending the stinging pain. Astrid watch him, satisfied with her action as she let a small grin hush over her face. Though, after a second it had vanished again. Hiccup lifted his head to look at who had caused him pain. He already knew who it was without opening his eyes. He had hoped for it the whole time, yet, when his eyes met hers, it still surprised him. The way she looked down at him and the way her glare penetrated his very soul made him giddy and excited all over again. That was it, that was what he had waited for the whole time – a chance. He wanted to apologize, to explain her so many things, but in the end, these words never left his mouth. Instead, he asked with narrowed eyes, "Why would you _do_ that?"

Astrid was about to punch him again. He dared asking her that after he uttered such nonsense in front of her! The anger that was buried over the past couple of days flared to life again. She grumbled, "Why would you _say_ that?" Taken back by the question, Hiccup relaxed his shoulders. Say what? What did he say? He looked around himself, searching for something that might help him get to the solution. Say?

"Say what?" he asked her, not knowing what she was talking about.

"That-! … That you want to… _die_ …" Her voice had started out furious, angered, but as she tried to tell him, the words got more insecure, confused… and hurt. She had spat that last word like it was something she did not want to speak out loud. Still, as ignorant as he was, he did not get that and just raised an eyebrow.

"You heard that?" he asked her cautious, his voice softer for he feared that one slight misunderstanding could lead to another explosion between them. She simply nodded and looked up at him. One last time. She was going to try just one last time. If he still refused to open up to her afterwards, he can just go die – metaphorically, of course.

"I… don't hate you, but… I don't like you either…" she began, choosing her words carefully as she looked at him from under her bangs. He froze for a moment until she saw him relax his shoulders, waiting for an answer. He then gave a slight nod, telling her to go on. " _But_. But… I would never wish for someone to die. Even if you're a jerk and even if you were ungrateful more than once… I still wouldn't wish for it. So don't just go saying that you'd like to die." By now she was hugging herself, holding herself up as she tried to keep her feelings in check. That was not like her at all. It felt weird, being so… reasonable. She was afraid of what he might say. She had just shown her vulnerable side, unconsciously. It was so easy for him to hurt her now. So easy that she was about to faint if she thought about it for just another moment longer. But before she could retreat entirely, she heard a short huff. Was he… laughing at her? She furrowed her eyebrows and glared at him, making him raise his arms instantly.

"No no no, you don't understand. I didn't mean to laugh at you!" he said so fast that she had to go it over again in order to let his words sink in. "It's… errr… heh… erm…" he stuttered. It was difficult, voicing his true feelings and thoughts. He felt how the air came short again, making him panic for immediately. He could not do it. His heart was too weak for that. He cannot, it is too much. _He couldn't, he couldn't, he couldn't, he_ -

And then he looked up to meet her eyes. She was afraid, too. She was waiting anxiously for his response. Realizing that she had just did the thing that he was about to run away from again calmed him down. She took the risk- no. She took the _chance_. He forced his breath to even before he pulled himself together. At least, he should return the favor. "I… It's the first time… someone told me something like that. I… normally, people would tell me that I'm not… normal. They tell me that I could never be one of them. That I'm better off dead. Ha, none of them ever tried understanding me. All they cared for was what I could do for them, but they never did return the favor!" Hiccup was grinning maniacally at the memories, grabbing his head in order to calm down. This was strange. Once he began, he could not stop it anymore. Everything was flowing out of his mouth like a waterfall that had been sealed all along.

"A-And the only people who stayed by my side nonetheless were my parents and Gobber! And then they took my mother! Now they've probably taken my father, too! Gobber is the only one I have left! I just- I can't even- It doesn't make any _sense_! It's as if the whole world is against me and I can't do anything!" His voice reached an unbearable volume, making the Princess flinch for a second there as she listened to him. She now understood that he was hurt… very much, but she still did not know why he still smiled. He was grinning, as if it would keep him from breaking apart. He looked slightly… insane. She could see how small tears were forming at the corner of his eyes, threatening to let loose if he let out another word. She had to do something, she knew she had to do something but she did not know what. She had never been good at comforting people. Normally she would punch them and tell them to stop crying. But in that very moment it felt awfully wrong to do so. She knew that this was a delicate matter and depending on how she acted next, it could determine their near future. If they could be friends or not, and although she would never admit it to him, she wanted to be friends with him. Something was drawing her towards him. She might not know what, but she could find it out if she secured them a friendship.

She approached him slowly, each step mindful and slow, making sure not to startle him. She lifted her hand, about to touch him, but withdrew it after all. Clenching her hand into a fist, she punched his arm, breaking his panic instantly. He yelped and looked at her with disbelief. She was about to regret it but heck, he needed that.

"That just means that they don't see what an interesting guy you are," she stated confidently as she crossed her arms, refusing any complaint that lay on his tongue. He still stared at her, dumbfounded about the whole situation. While rubbing the spot on his arm where she had hit him, he slowly smiled. He had expected anything but that. It just proved that she was really not normal. Normal people would take him in their arms and comfort him. She did not. She _punched_ him. He laughed and shook his head before he smiled at her gently. "You're… unbelievable. You're amazing."

The smile he gave her made her heart skip a beat, making it hard for her to breathe. As the comment sunk in, she blushed madly. Of course, she had heard those words often enough on every party where all the nobles gathered. However, it was the first time that those words sounded so sincere, so honest. Urgh, damn that guy and his stupid grin. Maybe she could punch him again. Surely,he would not mind, right? Maybe she should test the waters, so her hands were clenched into fists again, but before she could strike, Hiccup spoke up. "I'm sorry." _What?_

"What?" she asked aloud again.

"I'm sorry." He sighed and looked at her. "I'm sorry about the other day. It's… hard for me… to-" _Say what's on my mind? Admit my feelings? Jump over my shadow?_ "-talk." Hiccup closed his eyes and waited until he was brave enough to hold her gaze. It was so hard, looking at people, looking them in the eyes. How could she do that? It felt uncomfortable and soon he avoided her gaze again.

"I'm sorry, too."

"What?"

" _I said_ , I'm sorry, too. Gods, you need to focus." She rolled her eyes at the way he gave her that blank face.

"Why would you need to apologize?" He raised an eyebrow, clearly confused.

"Because of the beating I gave you. It wasn't nice…"

"You punched me today. Twice," he pointed out. Astrid groaned and punched him again on his arm.

"Ow! Why would you do that?!"

"Because you deserved it! Now shut up and listen. You're sorry. I'm sorry. We're both sorry. So let's leave that behind us, alright? I-" Was she really going to ask him that? Urgh, she knew she would regret it later if she did not. As embarrassing as it might be, she still had to ask. "I want to be friends with you. If you don't mind."

Hiccup's eyes widened, making her doubt her decision all the more. This was not good. He will turn her down. She knew it. She should have kept silent and should not have rushed it. _Stupid stupid her_. Now she might never get a chance to have someone who could ever be a good friend to her. Well, except Ruffnut. But she was a special exception. That girl just had no common sense. The longer Hiccup did not answer, the more nervous she got.

"I would love to be friends with you, Astrid," he said, giving her that goofy smile that made her heart melt. Why was she feeling this? It was so weird, so annoying, so uncomfortable. But then again, she did it. He accepted her suggestion. They could be friends. She could have a real friend, at last. When the moment passed, and none of them spoke a word, the silence would grow awkward. So, now that they've agreed to be friends, what did they do? Both were new to this and both did not want to make the first step. Astrid sighed. Just as she had solved one problem, another arose.

"So… why were you here again?" Hiccup broke the silence, eyeing her cautious but also curiously.

"Oh! Gobber wanted you to sharpen his sword. He insisted that I would take it to you and no other blacksmith since he did not trust them. Or something like that." While she spoke, she had handed him the sword that lay on her back. He took it without checking it out and looked at her.

"And what will you- we do now? I mean, no that we're… friends."

"Yeah, friends," she confirmed.

"Yeah…"

"Maybe we could try to get to know each other," she suggested as she played with the ends of her braid. Hiccup watched her movement and smirked a bit.

"How?"

"I don't know. Hey! Don't make me do all the thinking!" she snapped, her mouth wonderfully pressed against each other in a thin line as she glared at him again. Hiccup laughed and sighed, thinking about it too. Then it hit him.

"Hey, can I ask you something?" Astrid raised her eyebrows at the question and was a bit hesitant before she nodded slightly. "Sure, go ahead."

"How old are you?"

"Why would you want to know that?"

"I've been wondering about it for a while."

Still eyeing him as she searched for a hint of joke or ridicule behind his eyes, she continued to glare at him. When nothing was found and she was sure that he meant no harm, she shrugged. "Just turned eighteen. What about you?"

"Nineteen."

"So you're older than me, huh."

"Seems like it."

"Well, I sure don't like it," she said and punched him on his arm again.

"My arm will cease to function properly if you keep that up!" he complained, rubbing that spot again as he soothed the pain. Astrid laughed at that comment and grinned widely. Yes, it felt right. This whole thing with him felt right. She would make sure to thank Gobber later… or not. Depends on his decision if she could join the training or not. Until then, she would just enjoy the feeling of happiness after making up with him and more.

* * *

Date of Update: 29th February 2016

 **~ KeGzZ**


	7. Chapter 7

**Mine or Yours – Sleeping Beauty**

* * *

"Get your ass over here!"

"Language! You're still a Princess!"

"I don't give a shit! Now get here and fight me!"

"No!"

Astrid groaned and tried to reach him around the corner, but the moment she was turning, Hiccup also turned in order to stay away from her deadly grab.

"Stay still, will you?!"

"So that I can get caught and fight you one more time?"

"Yes!"

"No!"

Out of anger, Astrid grabbed a nearby wooden staff and chased him once again. Hiccup's eyes widened when he saw her extend the staff in order to reach him. He went for the door immediately but before he could reach it, Astrid had already pushed the door closed with the staff, blocking his exit. Hiccup gulped and looked around. Finding the window wide open, he dashed for it. Astrid looked into the direction and got the hint immediately. "No way I'm letting you out now!" she yelled as she tried to reach with the staff in front of the window. However, Hiccup ignored the staff and jumped. His hands reached the upper edge of the window as he pulled himself closer and up, his legs slipping through the open window first, followed by his body and lastly his arms as he let go.

Upon seeing that he escaped successfully he swung his arms into the air, "Yes!" However, what he did not expect, or rather, forgot to think of, was that Astrid could do the same. She too jumped through the window and before Hiccup could get up on time, the young Princess had already tackled him from the side. "Got you!"

"Not… yet…!" he struggled out of her grip and reached out. There was nothing in front of him, so he grabbed the grass underneath him and tried to pull himself out of her legs that locked his body. After many attempts to escape her and still finding himself underneath the Princess, he gave up and sighed. He noticed how his breathing got harder and tried to inhale deeply. But since Astrid was sitting on his back now, his belly couldn't expand to its full volume, making it harder to breathe at all. "You're heavier than you appear- Ow!" he covered the back of his head, defending it from the punches of the furious little Princess. Astrid narrowed her eyes at the young man beneath her. Did nobody teach him manners? Or rather, which topics to avoid at all costs in front of girls? She made herself heavier, pushing her weight onto his back and pining him down to the ground. Hiccup groaned in annoyance and tried to bear with it instead of giving in to her demands.

"You wouldn't be able to beat me anyway," he argued, still covering his head. Astrid's eyes widened in shock and then she punched his arm again.

"Why? Because I'm a girl?!" she accused him with a booming and angry voice.

"No, because you don't analyze your opponent!"

"… Why would that be? I analyze my enemies plenty."

"Oh now I'm your enemy? Great," he muttered silently.

"That's not what I meant. Don't get so whimsy and all emotional. I swear you're more complicated than a girl. Anyway, I analyze my _opponents_ plenty. So get up and fight me."

"Well, actually, I would. But then there's this furious, hot-headed, impatient and small Princess sitting on my back, which, mind you, hinders me from breathing normally- Ow! Stop it!" he yelled when he felt her stab into his ribs.

"I'm talking about our agreement to fight!"

"Yeah, well about that, I still don't think that's a good idea. You know? All the sweating and running around and waiting is kind of nerve-wrecking, don't you think?"

"Nope. I definitely love that feeling," she shrugged as she crossed her arms in front of her chest. She did not understand why he was denying her that request anyway. If he was so good, then he could just beat her and get over it. But now he tried to avoid the situation at all costs. What is up with that?

"Well then, how about this. If I win, you will never ask me to fight you again. And if you win, you get to join Gobber's training. That's a perfect bet!" he suggested, excited at the idea of finally getting rid of that damn curse he put upon himself.

"Not happening. You can't make a promise to break a promise. That's not how it works." And of course the Princess had to crush his hopes with her unreasonable reasoning. "Although I like the idea of betting something on our fights. Get something else."

"Princess-free month."

"No."

"A month without you inflicting harm on me?"

"No."

"Sleep all I want without getting interrupted."

"I'm serious here!" she hit his hands that covered his head.

"Me too! You're the one who's unreasonable!" he scoffed, laying his chin on the ground.

"You're only trying to get away from our promise!"

"Oh, you noticed?"

She glared at him. Their eyes met and Hiccup could practically feel the fire she's emanating. Urgh, he really had to do it after all. He thought for a bit until an idea struck him. And it would allow him to be free of her constant demand for a fight too. It was a brilliant plan. "Alright. I'll fight you. But if I win, you have to get the painting finished," he said.

Astrid glared at him and was about to deny his suggestion again when he cut in, "If you're not able to sit still for at least a few hours, you won't even be able to analyze your opponent. That's what I think."

She bit her lip. That smartass. She really could not deny him that request now, could she? And she did not accept that he thought about her as some hot-headed Princess who could not see straight when necessary. She knew that sometimes she would probably destroy everything near her when she was angry. But she wanted to prove him wrong. Because he _was_ wrong. She just had to prove it. She just had to win, prove him that she was capable of beating him and get rid of that stupid idea of finishing the painting. She had better things to do instead of sitting in one chair for hours while the painter would criticize her. _Definitely. Not. Happening_.

"Deal," she huffed and pulled herself up while releasing him at the same time. She watched as he turned from his belly on his back, sighing happily as he could breathe again. He took a short rest before he pulled himself up again, getting ready for their fight. Astrid already got her axe and stood with her legs spread and steady on the ground in front of him. Hiccup scratched his head lazily as he went back to the forge in order to retrieve a sword. Really, what in god's name did he think when he agreed on this. Sighing as he took the handle into his hand, he swung the sword with its blade on his shoulder. Really, that was such a bad idea.

Astrid already waited outside, the fire in her eyes burning so brightly that he really began to question if he should just run away. Why was she so fixated on fighting him anyway? She could just ask Gobber or that black-haired brawn who also attended Gobber's training. He stepped closer and halted when he was several feet away from her. Astrid burned with anticipation. She thirsted for this fight, for having an equal fight. He was her age and did not care that she was the Princess, well, mostly. She watched him position himself, getting ready for the fight as well. Tightening her grip on the handle, she braced herself for his attack. What she noticed first was that he stared at her in an uncomfortable way. They were piercing, calculating… analyzing. A cold shiver ran down her spine at the realization and it just fueled her enthusiasm even more. That was the feeling she had yearned for. She gulped and waited. She too needed to stay calm if she wanted to have any chance in this match.

Hiccup watched her feature and noticed that she did not attack immediately as always. She was serious. Well, if she went out of her way to treat this fight seriously, then he too should do her the same favor. He waited, patiently and the moment she blinked her eyes for a second, he rushed forward, swinging his sword towards her neck. The moment Astrid had opened her eyes, he was already in her reach. She lifted her axe impulsively and blocked the heavy clash that emitted from his sword. Astrid did not expect him to attack first. She grinned, knowing that he was finally taking her seriously. Hiccup continued to attack, always aiming for her neck, her hand or her eyes. She had a hard time getting her turn to attack, staying in her defense unwillingly. Somewhere along the way she came to know what fear means, whenever his blade was just a few inches away from blinding her permanently. Everytime their eyes met, she could feel the cruel cold that lingered behind his eyes.

Having enough of blocking, she looked for an opening to strike. It was hard, but there certainly were openings, even if only just for a split of a second. The moment he took another swing, she dodged it instead of parrying it. Taking a side step as she bent her body away from the blade, she used more force in order to stay on her feet as she tried to initiate a swing from her bent form. Putting all her weight on her front foot, she swung her axe towards his hand. However, before she could reach him, he had already stepped away, looking at her with surprise in his eyes before he steeled himself again.

Hiccup was getting impatient. He wanted to finish that fight as soon as possible since he hated fighting. He hated the feeling he got during a fight. All that excitement and caution made him dizzy and he hated how those feelings manipulated his control. He had to end it. Now. He took the sword into his left hand and rushed towards her again. Seeing as he switched the sword into his dominant hand, Astrid knew that he wanted to end it. Like hell she would let him. She too rushed towards him. If he was going for an one-hit-win then she too would go for it. They both were merely a few feet away from each other when both lifted their weapon and swung. At the sound of iron clashing at iron, the birds flew to the sky, the sound resonating amidst the trees. And then silence returned, the clashing sound vanishing entirely.

…

The Princess stomped through the hall while a flustered lanky young man chased her with heavy breaths. "Astrid, wait!" he begged, walking faster in order to stand beside her. Astrid ignored him and stomped with a frown upstairs. The guards all got stiff and hoped that the fuming Princess would spare their lives. At the same time, Adrian turned around the corner and saw his sister approaching him. He was about to greet her when suddenly Astrid grabbed the collar of that new guy and pressed him against the wall.

"You broke my axe!" she yelled, hitting him into his abdomen before she let him go again. Hiccup coughed desperately, trying to breathe. Adrian was terrified as he watched his sister. However, what terrified him more was the fact that someone was able to best his sister. Nobody bested her. Not to mention breaking her axe while doing so. Oh, he really should warn his parents that Astrid might be upset for the next few days. And just like that, he turned around and ran towards the throne room. When the guards opened the giant gate for the little Prince, Adrian rushed inside. His father seemed to be discussing something with Uncle Gobber but he did not care. He tugged at the sleeve of his father until the King turned to look at his son.

"What is it, Adrian? I'm a little busy right now," he asked.

"Dad! We are all going to die! Astrid is angry!" the little one yelled hysterically, afraid that he would have to see his parents arguing with his beloved sister again.

Gobber burst out in laughter as he patted the little one's head. "Adrian, we won't die just because Astrid is angry-"

"No, we are going to die! That new guy broke her axe!" Adrian shouted, looking at the two adults with horrified eyes. Both stopped laughing and looked at each other. They knew how precious that axe was to Astrid, since it was Finn who gave her that axe before he died on the battlefield. The King gulped and was about to say something when the gate burst open again. Astrid stomped inside, dragging a half-to-death beaten up Hiccup with her. Gobber smirked amused at the sight, though he felt sorry for the young lad. Really, he never knew how to keep his profile low.

"Where's Fre- Fron- where's the painter?!" Astrid yelled. She finally let go of poor Hiccup and crossed her arms in front of her chest. The King mentally feared that she might finally kill that annoying painter after all and hesitated. "You mean Francois?"

"Whatever! Where is he?"

"First I have to confirm that you are not going to kill him," he said with raised eyebrows. Although he really wanted to get rid of him. That painter always complained about anything and everything. On top of that, his skills as a painter are not even that good. But it was hard to find someone who could paint accurately at all so the King had little choice. Still, since Adrian wanted to get it over quickly, he was more than willing to sacrifice their painter, "He's painting the courtyard right now." The King turned around to glare at him. Adrian flinched and took a step back, fearing that he might have done a mistake. However, Astrid took long strides towards him and when she stood in front of him, she crouched down and patted his head. After giving him a short peck on his cheek, she said, "Thank you. I love you, Adrian. You're the best!" She gave him a huge grin before she stood up and ran out of the room. Adrian smiled widely and looked at his father expectantly. The King just sighed and smirked. Really, he had such troublesome kids. But at least, it never got boring with them around.

Gobber went up to stand next to Hiccup who still lay on the ground. "How long do you intend to pretend that you're dead?" the old man asked, nudging his sides with his leg. Hiccup opened his eyes and mumbled, "Until I'm safe."

"Well guess what, you're safe. She just went out to kill the painter." Gobber scratched his head, not knowing what to think about the whole situation. Somehow he already got used to it. Hiccup sat up and dusted his clothes. He arched his back while he held his arms straight over his head. Really, he had to learn how to _not_ annoy her every single time they met. The King approached them with his son right behind him, eyeing the young lad who just somehow survived his daughter's wrath. He was about to say something but Hiccup beat him to it, "Well I don't know what you're talking about. She went to get the painter in order to finish the painting on the wall."

Both Gobber and the King looked at him with a stunned expression. "No no no, she surely is going to behead him. She would never ask him to paint her willingly. She's too proud for that, much to her demise," the King argued, waving his hand in the air to emphasize his point. Hiccup rubbed his temple.

"And that was her downfall. We made a bet and she lost. Part of our agreement was that should I win, then she would have to finish the painting. I didn't intend to break her axe though," he let out a long sigh, "So troublesome…" And just like that he picked up the broken axe that Astrid left next to the gate and headed towards the courtyard. As he left, the King turned to look at Gobber.

"Is he good?"

"What do you mean?"

"Is he good with the sword?"

Gobber grinned, "He's my best student, and my disciple."

"Interesting," the King said with an amused smirk, "I have a suggestion."

"Oh, I'm all ears."

Both men grinned at each other.

…

"You have to smile naturally! This is too fake! How am I supposed to paint you if you can't even sit straight for several hours at once!" Francois complained, pointing his brush at her accusingly. Astrid was about to snap. She lost the bet and as much as she hated it, that was the bet. She even had to get inside one of these useless, flashy dresses. All in all, she was about to kill the painter. Literally. However, Hiccup was standing behind the painter, keeping his eyes on her and making sure that she kept her promise. Astrid bit her lip. How in the world could she lose? He just had a sword. She had an axe. There was no way that he could best her with just that, so how? Unconsciously, she began to frown, pursing her lips as she tried to find out why she had lost in the first place. She was not a sore loser. If she lost, she could accept it. But that does not mean that she will just sit there idly, not trying to figure out how she could win next time.

And that was it. Francois dropped everything and yelled, "I quit! This is unbearable! Finito! Pinna! Alla fin fine!" The plump man left the gallery with heavy steps, slamming the door shut right behind him. Astrid and Hiccup flinched at the sound and their eyes lingered on the door for a little while until Astrid finally relaxed. She let out a sigh, "You really calculated that nicely. Now you won't have to fight me. As long as nobody finishes the painting, you will have a lot of Princess-free duty." Hiccup just gave her a wry smile as he picked up the brush and looked at the painting. It did not resemble her the least. And anyway, the way the painter positioned her on the chair did not match her personality. Not to mention that it did not show her beautiful face from a better angle. He smirked. What a sorry excuse of a painter.

"I'll finish the painting," he said in a low voice, still eyeing the painting, surprising the Princess in more than one way. Astrid looked at him bewildered.

"Do you even know how to paint?" she scoffed, raising an eyebrow at him questioningly. Hiccup just smirked and went towards her. Each step that took him closer to her, filled her chest with excitement and worry at the same time.

"I do know how to paint," he stated, taking her hand gently in his. She wanted to punch him, however, something stopped her from doing so. The urge was there but when she looked at him, his eyes so focused on her, she just could not push him away. Maybe all this painting thing had something good after all.

"And why would you want to finish the painting yourself? I thought you did not want to fight me," she asked, trying to distract herself from this uncomfortable closeness. Hiccup took her other hand and positioned and held them midair. "That's true," he replied, "But…" He put a hand on her knee and tapped on them. "Cross your legs."

"What?"

"I said, cross your legs. It will be more comfortable that way and it fits your personality," he explained shortly, his eyes fixated on her legs. She really should just lift them and kick him in his face- his face… She crossed her legs slowly while she lifted her face to look at him. He was not that bad looking. He was just so annoying that she never paid much attention on his looks. He had a well-defined jaw, thick eyebrows yet not so much that it drew more attention than his eyes. His freckles were faint but visible. Her gaze wandered down to his mouth. He had thin lips, yet they were big enough that she wanted to taste them. Taste- what? What was she thinking? There was no way that she would think like that. Impossible. But…

Her eyes lingered on his lips, her thoughts lost somewhere that she did not even notice that Hiccup was now staring back at her. Hiccup seemed to be the only one who noticed how close their faces were. It was a bit awkward but when he noticed that Astrid was not even paying attention, he too looked at her face, her eyes. Without realizing it, the distance between them shrunk, Hiccup holding her hands tightly as he closed in. Astrid was lost in thoughts until she felt his nose brush against hers. Suddenly, she was aware of how close they both actually were, but before she could protest any further, she felt something warm on her lips. Her eyes widened at the touch. She saw how he had his eyes closed and wanted to push him away. Then she realized that he held her hands tightly beside her, trapping her. The more time passed, the more she felt herself losing control. Unconsciously, she closed her eyes and focused all her senses on that connection on her lips.

Hiccup, realizing that she did not stop him but did not return the kiss either, was about to draw back. Yet, when he removed his lips from hers just an inch, she had pushed her lips against his again. And just like that, his mind went blank. All he wanted and could think about were her lips. A comfortable warmth emitted from their skin, sending both of them into a state of calm and excitement. Astrid had never experienced something like this. She heard stories from her parents, heard stories from the guards and the maids, but never experienced for herself. She was absolutely sure that she did not want to do something as disgusting as kissing, yet here she was, kissing some guy she does not even know that well. Both knew they had to stop, that it was not right. But they could not think. All that existed was the desire for more. It was strange to yearn for something like this, but it was nice. Kissing was actually nice. Really nice.

Screw self-control, Hiccup felt like he could die any moment. Was that how dying felt like? So peaceful and comfortable. After what felt like an eternity, they both moved away for a few inches. They had not realized how out of breath they actually were. Astrid especially felt like she had just run around the castle. She could feel his warm breath on her lips, soothing yet exhilarating. And then reality struck her again. They had kissed. She, the Princess, had just kissed him, a mere commoner. This was bad. This was really, really bad. If her father were to find out about it, he might banish him from the castle, or worse, from the country. And that right after she thought that she had finally found a true friend. Now, somehow angry with him, she grabbed his collar again and glared into his eyes.

"This will remain a secret between us."

Hiccup snapped out of his trance and blinked several times. "Uh, sure. I-I did not intend to do… brag about it." He gulped and shut his mouth, afraid he might utter more nonsense if he went on.

"Good." She let him go and cleared her throat. "So? What position do you need?"

"Erm… Just cross your legs and put your hands… uhm. Here…" he guided her hands and put them discretely on her lap. While he did that, his thoughts went back to what happened just a few seconds ago. He had kissed her. What in god almighty's name was he thinking? He pulled back and went back to the unfinished painting. He looked over it and thought for a bit how he could correct the painting. In the end, he put the painting aside and got himself a new canvas.

"Are you sure you can paint?" Astrid asked him again. It was not the fact that she did not believe him, but that she did not know how to fill this awkward silence with words. Suddenly, every word that got into her mind sounded wrong or accusing. Maybe flattered? In the first place, the whole situation was weird.

"Yeah. I'm pretty confident in myself."

"You still didn't tell me why you wanted to finish the painting yourself."

Hiccup glanced at her before he mixed some colors with the brush. "If I had to say what I wanted more… not fighting you or having the painting finished… then I'd want the painting," he answered calmly, putting the first strokes on the canvas.

"Why?" Oddly enough, she sat calmly on the chair. It was not uncomfortable and she felt relaxed compared to Fre- … Fro- the foreign man.

"Because it would be a shame to not have your beauty engraved on that wall." _And because people will still be able to look at you when you pass away._ Of course, he could not tell her that. Astrid blushed at the indirect compliment and remained silent. Really, she never met someone like him before. She looked around, taking in where she actually was. It was a modest room – not too big, not too small. She sat in front of a window with a table next to her. Except that, the room was actually quite empty. The only things that were stored at the walls were empty canvases and unfinished paintings. She lifted her face and looked out of the window. Stormfly was sleeping soundly on the grass. The weather was nice and the way it harmonized with her horse and everything made her smile. Even though Stormfly did not do much, it calmed her down to look at her.

Hiccup glanced back at her and caught her smiling as she looked out of the window. Unconsciously, he too smiled. He liked this, whatever this was. The atmosphere was nice. It was peaceful and all he wanted was for the time to stop. He added another color, sketching out the environment that surrounded the Princess. Astrid had closed her eyes now and smiled nonetheless. Hiccup stared at her, the painting forgotten for a moment. Really, what did he do to deserve such a sight?

Then he resumed painting again. Maybe he should fight her more and demand to allow him painting her in return. That way both of them would get something out of it. He wanted to paint her. To manifest her beauty with his skill on a canvas and on paper. He liked it to paint her, especially when she was sleeping. She would not move so much and relax her whole body. He looked at her again. His hand moved on its own and chose the colors before he added another few strokes. His eyes were glued on her, then back on the canvas, then back on her. Maybe he should try kissing her again. Maybe she would not mind. And just maybe… maybe he could forget all his worries and problems again, just like a few moments ago. Maybe time would slow down and maybe he could have more time to take in her beauty. When he looked up again, her eyes still remained closed. The Princess really was… a sleeping beauty.

* * *

Date of Update: 5th April 2016

 **~ KeGzZ**


	8. Chapter 8

**Mine or Yours – My Little One  
**

* * *

He was just 5 years old when he realized his position as a Prince. People treated him like a kid but in reality, he understood more than they noticed. He also knew that for some reason he was not the like other children, that he was special. Sometimes he would catch his father speaking to his mother about responsibilities and how much expectations he had for him. That time he was too young to fully understand the weight behind those words. It was also that same time he began to draw. His parents did not spend as much time with him as before anymore and the maids were just supposed to look after him. They were in charge of dressing him up and bathing him, all the domestic work. However, he was still too young to know what loneliness was. He just told himself that his parents were busy and will spend much time with him again soon.

Later more strangers began to approach him, telling him that he had to study. Whenever his father accompanied them, he would lighten up and listen without a word. First, they gave him simple tasks such as reading, writing, calculating. It was fun, and whenever his father proudly patted his head, his chest would fill itself with pride and joy.

He was 8 years old when he understood that it would never be the same anymore. His father would have less and less time for him. His mother had already passed away, leaving him with a big scar inside his heart to heal by itself. The teachers still tried to stuff all the knowledge into his head and at some point, he broke. He snuck out more often, going off on his own. He wanted to see the world outside but for some reason his father forbid him from doing so. Of course, that only encouraged him more to go against him. That was also the reason why he got kidnapped so often, causing his father more trouble than necessary. One time he was locked away for a whole day, not able to go outside at all because of his acts. Sometimes he would overhear the guard talking about him. They all said the same things.

" _It's a pity he won't listen."_

" _He has so much potential."_

" _He's a genius."_

" _He's wasting his talent."_

" _It's troublesome that he always runs away."_

Hiccup began to shut himself off from the guards, the maids, everyone. He did as he was told - learned, studied, kept silent.

He was 13 years old when he stopped doing anything. Everything seemed to have no meaning. Why he was studying, why he was sitting in a library when all the other kids got to play outside and why he felt so empty. That was when he first met her. A small brunette girl. She had crystal clear blue eyes that shone with so much desire for life. She wore her hair in a ponytail and some ripped clothes. He did not know how she did it, but she somehow snuck into the castle without being spotted. The first time he saw her was when she climbed on the window he was sitting next to. His pen fell off his hand as his jaw dropped when he saw her. For the first time he felt alive.

Somehow, that girl made such a huge impression on him that he went to the library with anticipation every day. And every time, at the same time, she would climb on his window and hide underneath his desk when the guards passed his window. He would cover for her every time and talk to her afterwards. One day the girl decided to take him to the outside world and just like that, his eyes brimmed with excitement and fire. However, when he returned to the castle at last, he overheard a bunch of men talking in hushed voices in the library. His curiosity getting ahead of him, he snuck silently behind the bookshelves and listened to them. It was by pure coincidence, but it was that time that he overheard them planning to get rid of the girl who had now taken a bad influence on him.

When he heard that, his heart stopped for a moment. He liked that girl, whoever she was. She was the first one to see him as… him. He did not want to lose another dear person so he acted. He left the library silently and ran towards his chamber, getting his sword and dagger as he went off again. Gobber had always told him that he was talented, that he was better than the rest of the students. That the only thing he did not have was courage to kill people in order to protect. He would protect that girl. Whatever the cost. When he was heading toward the library again, he saw the men leaving, walking towards his direction. He hid himself behind the next door he had within his reach. When they passed, he waited for several moments before he came out.

He had never done something of the sort. He just wanted to save his first ever friend. When he followed them, he made sure that the distance was long enough so that they would not notice him but short enough to still keep an eye on them. However, at some point, he lost sight of them when someone pushed him over. Since he did not leave the castle often, people did not recognize him and treated him as any other kid. He looked around frequently, trying to track them down again. Suddenly he heard a muffled scream. The people around him were chatting noisily which made it harder to search for the direction where the scream came from. But then he moved based alone on his instincts. He did not care if he might get lost or whatsoever, he just wanted to find and save her. He searched everywhere, for the whole day. When he happened to take a glance at someone, he heard them talking about her. After he followed them for a good while, they vanished into the woods and he was about to wonder what they were up to until he heard another scream, crying and sobbing. He rushed into the direction where the sound came from and did not notice some branches that lay on the way. He tripped, stood up and ran even faster. At some point, he began to see some shadows and when he was close enough, he saw some older men surrounding something, or rather, someone.

Hiccup was about to call out to them, when he stepped on a branch, alarming everyone who was present. When a certain man moved to turn around and looked at him, he saw the girl naked between two other men. One of them stood pressed tightly against her butt while the other one was filling her mouth with his manhood. The girl made sobbing noises, the organ inside her mouth muffling her scream. One of her arms seemed broken while there were blue and purple spots on several places of her body. One of the men covered the sight again, stepping in front of him.

"Your highness, that girl is a criminal and we're currently punishing her. It would be best if you went home. We want to spare you the sight," he explained with a calm but slightly nervous voice. Hiccup however just stood there, not moving away an inch.

"What… are you doing to her?" he asked slowly, terrified… mortified. He knew exactly what they were doing to her. "What are you doing to her?!" he was now screaming, his pitched voice making all the present men flinch. The brute that stood in front of him noticed that any more talking would not reach him so he decided to just take him out as well. He was about to swing at him but before the blade could reach Hiccup, something dark had wrapped itself around his body. Too confused and panicked, the man tried to hit at him several more times, just to have the dark cloak prevent his blade from reaching the young prince. The dark cloak then turned into mist, enveloping everything in darkness in a radius of 30 or more feet. Everything except Hiccup and the little girl. Hiccup was at the edge of freaking out. His eyes were wide and filled with horror. He was terrified. When the mist was approaching him a little bit, Hiccup took a step back, afraid that he was the next victim. But when the mist came in contact with his skin, the only thing he felt was warmth and strength. Hiccup relaxed and his shoulder fell with a relieved sigh. Something about the mist calmed him down, calmed his senses and before he knew it, all the mist gathered in one small black flame in his hand.

Before Hiccup could ask anything, the flame then spread and enveloped his whole body as if a shadow was about to swallow him. He did not feel like he was about to suffocate though. It was warm and caring. And a few seconds afterwards, it vanished. Hiccup then felt a stabbing pain in his heart. His blood was rushing through his veins so fast he could not comprehend what was going on. He felt like he was on fire, felt like his whole body was burning before it subsided again. When only a little sting was perceivable, he then heard something in the back of his mind.

" _Don't forget who you are. Don't turn into a spawn of Váli. Live,"_ a soothing and womanly voice reminded him with such a caring undertone that Hiccup did not even think about questioning her demands.

When he came back to his senses, he barely witnessed how the men vanished into thin air like black mist. The girl he had been searching lay crouched under a tree, her eyes terrified as she looked at him. Hiccup was worried. Just what had those men done to her? He took a few steps towards her, his concern for her encouraging him to walk. "Are you o-?"

"You monster!" she spat, trying to push herself as close to the tree as possible, afraid she might also turn to mist like those men. She watched as Hiccup's feature turned from concern to hurt. She thought that playing with him and becoming his friend would be beneficial for her. She did not have to steal to eat anymore, did not have to search for shelter somewhere anymore. Because he gave her everything. But that was an utterly huge mistake. She had befriended a demon! And the demon was the Prince nonetheless. This could not be true. She did not know that the royal family bore such a huge secret.

Hiccup was still hurt, he did not intend to kill those men and he did not call for the black mist to come to his rescue. "I'm no monster! I- I am normal! Look-" he tried to convince her but she only shook her head bewildered.

"You aren't normal!" she shouted, afraid… mortified.

Hiccup realized that his words would not reach her anymore and decided to close the gap between them in order to make her understand that he did not mean any harm.

"Stay away from me!" she yelled again, her voice cracking.

"Please, just let me- You're wounded! I can ask the-"

"I hate you!"

Hiccup fell silent. What was that supposed to mean, she _hated_ him. He looked at her and tried to ease the pain in his chest. It was burning. He was betrayed. He was hated. He was…

"I just wanted to be one of you!"

"You could never be one of us!"

… hurt. Before he could try anymore, Gobber came out of the bush. He looked at the scene with focused eyes and turned his attention to Hiccup who seemed just as confused and somehow hurt as the naked girl that sat crouched at the tree. Then several guards arrived and pulled Hiccup away, distancing him from the girl. Hiccup could hear the girl shout at him, accusing him of the dead men, trying to warn everyone present of his unnatural power. As the girl went on yelling and shouting in despair, the black mist covered his ears and made him deaf for the moment, preventing him from hearing any more harmful words. That was the last time Hiccup trusted somebody, and the first time he was not afraid of the dark.

…

Hiccup shot up as he tried to focus his eyes on anything. He was breathing hard, sweat coating his skin with shiny drops. He realized that everything had just been a dream. He let his hand fall against his face as he squinted his eyes. It had been a while since he had that dream, or rather, memory. He stood up and went towards the mirror, looking at his wasted self. He slowly evened his breathing before he whispered, "Why did you show me that memory again?"

Slowly the image in the mirror changed. What he saw was not himself anymore, but a tall and beautiful woman with a skin as dark as the midnight and her hair as silver as the moon. A dark cloak surrounded her and the background was again just foggy and unclear as always.

"I was worried that you might lose yourself again, little one," the woman said with a concerned voice.

"I have everything under control."

"You nearly killed her," she reminded him again, something he did not want to remember.

"But I didn't."

"Because Gobber intervened," she shot back. She watched as his face fell and sighed. "Don't turn into a-"

"Spawn of Váli. Yes, I know, I know."

"Revenge is not a solution, little one."

"I know that, Nótt, I know!"

"And yet you're tempted. Is it because of that girl? How was her name again? Astrid. Yes, Astrid it was. Was it because of her?"

"No… Yes… I don't know!" Hiccup groaned as he tangled his hand in his hair. "She is just so- I don't know how to explain this feeling!"

"You like her," the woman said amused.

"What? No! I mean, she's beautiful and she's _so_ intriguing. But that doesn't mean that I like her!"

"You dreamed of her, little one. And those dreams were definitely not innocent, by all means."

Hiccup groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose. The woman chuckled at his nervous and shy behavior.

"I'm a man," he began slowly, "It's normal to react that way. I'm pretty sure that it's only my body reacting to this... environment. That's it. I'm only physically attracted to her. That's all."

The woman looked at him with a blank face. She knew that whatever he just said was not the case. He liked her, and he knew that too. He just did not want to admit that. She watched his demeaning feature as he tried to avoid her gaze. Hiccup knew that she knew what he was hiding. She was a godess after all. It would be a wonder if he could fool her. She was the one who gave him that strange power and she was the reason he could still be himself. Nótt watched him patiently, waiting for his response but after a long while she glanced at the door. She felt the girl who was responsible for Hiccup's behavior approaching the room.

"Your little girlfriend is nearing. It's time for me to go," the godess said and vanished without waiting for his reply. Just when the mirror was showing the image of himself again, the door opened, revealing the feature of an enthusiastic girl. Hiccup did not realize his appearance until he saw the Princess blush and look away instantly. He smirked a little, amused to see how he affected her. He pulled the shirt off the chair and pulled it over. After he tugged it into his pants and adjusted everything, he looked at her.

"You can look," Hiccup said and went towards her, "Why are you here?"

Astrid then turned her eyes reluctantly towards him and sighed out in relief when she found him dressed up. Then she looked up to his face and halted her breath. "I wanted to pick you up to finish the painting. The sooner we have that out of our way, the sooner I get to have another spar with you... And you look horrible. Did something happen?" She sounded softer than she actually wanted to let it be, surprising her for a moment before she composed herself again. Hiccup's eyes widened for a moment before he looked back into the mirror. He did indeed look worse than he thought. He remembered his dream again and began to glare at himself. It still haunted him, the sheer memory causing his breathing to grow ragged and uneven. He did not feel the Princess closing in to him until she put a hand on his shoulder. His head whipped around and when his eyes met hers, he got pulled back to reality.

The Princess looked at him worriedly, but did not dare ask him about whatever it was that unsettled him. She somehow felt that he might reject her once again if she were to dig too deep. "Are you okay?" she simply asked instead, her hand still carefully placed on his shoulder. Hiccup's face eased up a bit before his shoulders slumped. He gave her a weak smile and nodded. "Yeah. I'm okay. Let's go work on the painting," he stated, waiting for her to take back her hand. Astrid did not buy his lie but knew better than to make a drama out of it. She looked at him calmly, taking his feature in as she held up his gaze. Her eyes wandered down to his lips and the memories of the day before began to rush through her mind, setting her whole body on fire once again. Realizing that she was now staring at him, she shook her head and was about to turn around and leave for the reason she was actually picking him up. However, when she removed her hand from his shoulder, Hiccup grabbed her wrist and spun her around, pressing his lips against hers. Of course he noticed the way she stared at him. He would be a fool to let that chance pass.

Startled at his action, it took her a while until she responded to him. She did not want to admit it, but she craved his lips. She still did not know what that feeling inside her chest was and why it was only reacting to him, but as long as she could kiss him and not question it any further, she would be a happy woman. Hiccup smirked against her lips when he noticed that she was returning the kiss and decided to take it to the next level. When both had opened their mouth slightly, he pushed his tongue inside and licked along her bottom lip, biting it softly as he pulled at it. He heard her sigh against him and grinned. He liked the way she responded to him and his touch. Astrid felt how her head got dizzy and forgot about the painting and the spar altogether. As time passed, she slowly got used to this new way of kissing and tried to do the same to him. But when she decided to try the same thing he did to her, Hiccup pulled away a bit and gave her a smug grin. He then let her go and passed her, leaving her in the room as he went towards the room where they had to continue the painting.

Now a very strong frustration spreading through her chest, she cursed herself for letting him beyond her guard. She did not like it one bit that he could make her knees shake so easily. It did not make any sense. She hated guys, and she knew that every guy she had met until now just digusted the hell out of her. But he was different. Hiccup was different. He was not as big as the others. He was not as arrogant as the others but still held a modest confidence to himself. There were many handsome men out there that she had already met, and many were probably more handsome than him. But for some reason she could not explain why he looked so... attractive. She also saw his naked torso, on a coincidence though, and that too lit a fire inside her that she did not know existed.

Gods, what was wrong with her? She felt as if all control over herself slipped away and all she could do was to follow him obediently. She watched his back as they walked steadily. No one spoke up until they stood in front of the door. Hiccup was about to enter when Gobber called out to him, "Hiccup! Come 'ere for a bit." Wondering who just interupted their alone time, Astrid looked over Hiccup's shoulder, just to find Gobber standing there and waving at them. When the old man saw Astrid standing behind him, he grinned to himself. Maybe this task would be a chance for them, for Hiccup. "And bring the Princess with you. The King is awaiting you two," Gobber simply said as he turned away and went ahead.

Both Hiccup and Astrid looked at each other, confusing reflecting in both eyes. Hiccup knew by now that whenever Gobber was involving another person of authority, it would be something that he did not like. Yet, what could the old man be possibly plotting which involved the Princess?

When they arrived at the throne room, Gobber already stood nest to the King, his arms behind his back. Out of formality, Hiccup bowed and looked at his feet that seemed so interesting in that very moment. Astrid did not do the same since it still was her father and she never bowed. Even out of formality or politeness, she never bowed. Not even if they had guests from other countries, Astrid never bowed. Both lost some tension as the silence did not seem to go away. While they waited for the King's decision or task... or whatever he had in store for them, Hiccup noticed that the black-haired underling was present too. As well as the other people who seemed to take part in Gobber's training. He was about to ponder, why that was the case, but then the King spoke up.

"Astrid. Are you content with Snotlout as your personal guard?"

Snotlout and Astrid looked up, surprise evident in their eyes. Then the Princess scoffed and laughed nervously before she answered, "You're still asking? Of course I'm not."

The brawn frowned at her response but thought nothing of it since he knew there was nobody who was better than him, leaving the King no choice but to give him that role. However, Hiccup began to put together the puzzle and gritted his teeth. He desperately hoped that they were not about to do what he feared they would. Of course, the gods had to dissapoint them. Of course, Nótt could not help him out. The King and Gobber held a satisfying grin on their face to Astrid's answer. That was what they needed to put their plan into action. The King then looked at Hiccup and told, "Lift your face, Henry." _Shit. They were really going to do that, weren't they?_ Hiccup lifted his face slowly, meeting the King's eyes cautiously.

"Henry, Snotlout, I order you to hold a duel before my eyes. Right here and right now," he commanded. Snotlout, now not believing what was happening, froze and tried to process what the King had just said. Hiccup in comparison already expected it and let out a long but silent sigh. As uncomfortable as he felt about this course of events, he was still in the presence of his highness. He was not allowed to show him his rebellious side. The King then gave Gobber the signal. Gobber nodded and went towards the lad, giving him a simple one-handed sword before he flashed him his grin. Hiccup just glared at Gobber before he took the sword, reluctantly.

Snotlout snapped out as well, now drawing the sword that lay on his waist. He walked towards Hiccup and halted in front of him. He took a good look at him and came to the conclusion that this was just a joke. Looking at his body and form, Snotlout was confident that he would win. He could break that guy like a twig if he wanted to. At least, that is what he thought. Then the King spoke up again, "You will not hold back. Once I find out that one of you lost on purpose, I will have this duel replay again until each of you gives his best. Begin."

Hiccup took a short glance to Gobber to confirm his thoughts. The old man gave him a serious look and nodded slightly. That was all Hiccup needed. Permission. He did not know what Gobber was planning, or what the King was planning. But he sure hoped that nothing would change after the duel. He dearly hoped so. Snotlout was already charging at him, his sword high and ready to strike. However before he could reach him, Hiccup turned to a black mist for a split second and then back to human afterwards. The difference however was that distance that Hiccup managed to cross so fast. He was now beside him, his sword now so black that nobody could see it shining anymore, and let his sword clash at Snotlout's. He let the blade glide against the other one until he reached the hilt, forcing the sword out of Snotlout's hands. Before Snotlout could reach out for the sword, Hiccup pointed his sword against his throat.

The room went silent. Everyone had watched the fight, and everyone saw the mysterious mist enveloping him as well as his sword. Just what was going on? The King did not seem surprised at all. As did not Gobber. Hiccup calmed his breathing and then the mist vanished slowly. The King, now sure about this plan as well as Hiccup's ability, stood up and looked down on them.

"I will hereby dismiss Snotlout Jorgenson from his task to guard my daughter, Princess Astrid Hofferson," the King said with a steady voice. He saw the disbelief in the brawn's eyes as well as content and sheer joy in his daughter's eyes. Astrid grinned hugely and it made the King more than happy to see that being the case. Yet, he knew that he would vipe that grin off her face too once he makes his announcement. He just hoped that maybe... just maybe, this decision would change something. Anything. The King looked at Henry and went on, "And taking his place will be Henry Borgenson."

Astrid's face fell. No, that was not what she wanted. She was just beginning to get closer to him, as a person. They could not do that to her. If he was now her personal guard, there was no chance in hell they could be just normal friends. The task will be in her way again.

The King watched his daughter intently and realized his fears proved to be right. There was something going on between them. Between the Borgenson boy and his daughter. He hoped that they did not go too far yet and maybe this decision will put them both back into their places again. He was very happy to see that a boy could finally affect her in some way, but why did it have to be a commoner? The most he could become was a knight and nothing more. There were no chances for them in the future. The King had already silently given up on the ideal to marry his daughter off to some blond, blue-eyes brat. He just did not say it out loud in order to protect his daughter from all the dirty men. He would watch over her, as he would over Henry. He would watch silently and put his faith in Gobber's plan. After witnessing everything with his own eyes, he found this plan to be very promising.

* * *

 **~ KeGzZ**

Date of Update: 15th May 2016


	9. Chapter 9

**Mine or Yours – The Other Side**

* * *

Astrid tried to wrap her head around everything that just happened in mere minutes. She got rid of Snotlout - that was good. In his place, however, Hiccup got assigned to protect her instead. That was bad. In addition, she finally told herself that she was going crazy. Her eyes probably played tricks on her, yes. She was just imagining that black _something_ that engulfed his feature and his sword. There was no way that whatever she just witnessed could be real. She snapped out of it when Hiccup approached her. Their eyes met for a second before Hiccup went down on his knee, pledging his loyalty towards her and the kingdom. His eyes were closed while his head hung defeated in front of her. They both knew that this... changed everything. He could not mess around anymore as well as she could not talk to him normally anymore. Both were aware that they could not be Astrid and Hiccup anymore. They were now Princess and Guard. For Astrid, who had just found someone she liked being around with, it was an utter nightmare.

The King watched everything silently unfold before him. Gobber just prayed to the lords above that everything went according to his plan. The success rate was no more than fifty-fifty. He knew he should inform Hiccup about his father's whereabouts, but it had time. There was a formidable chance to change him, using the Princess and this kingdom. He did not care if he were to be called a fool or stupid. If it meant that he could see his boy smile again, it would be worth it. With that, he would fulfill the last wish of Queen Valka.

Hiccup stood up slowly, now opening his eyes as he looked at the Princess. Astrid shuddered at the sight. Again, she was at the starting line. He was looking at her with such a cold gaze, it nearly made her choke. It was not fair. She had just unlocked his heart, just to have her very father put another lock around his throat. The sight made her eyes watery as she looked at him. This is not what she wanted, this is not what she had worked for the past few weeks. She wanted him back, as Hiccup only. Not as a knight, not as a guard. Just as that foreign commoner who made her feel equal to him. She was about to voice her complaint but the words remained stuck as she felt him touch her hand.

Hiccup knew what she wanted to say, what she wanted to do. He felt the same way. Yet, he also knew that this was a test, and to some point, a plan of Gobber's. Whatever they had in mind, there had to be a reason, so he held her hand gently, bringing the back of her hand to his lips as he bowed just as slightly. He kissed it softly and raised his head to look at her.

"I shall never leave your side," he promised before he mouthed _Astrid_ , though he did not say it out loud. Astrid saw a small smirk at the corner of his lips and it was enough to make her heart jump so joyfully. She pulled herself together and gave him a playful smirk, as to not raise any suspicion, "I would expect nothing less." Hiccup smirked as Astrid grinned mischievously.

All the while, Snotlout had watched the two of them exchange their vows. At first glance, nobody would think of it as strange. However, he caught the way they both looked at each other. Or rather, he saw the Princess giving Hiccup the look that he himself had longed for so long. Somewhere at the far corner of his mind, he knew what it meant, yet he refuses to believe it. The Princess has never taken interest in any guy, ever. And of course that would not change just because some scrawny outsider had invaded their beloved kingdom. No, this was all a mistake and he was just depressed because he just got fired. There was simply no way.

...

Hiccup walked behind Astrid, as per the formality. Astrid looked over her shoulder, just to see him smile at her. She returned the smile and turned around again. Maybe this was not so bad after all. The new arrangement allowed her to keep him by her side the whole time without raising any suspicion. It was the ideal cover to spend time with him. She did not notice that she was walking with a slight jump in her pace until Hiccup could not resist a chuckle. Astrid was about to snap at him but Hiccup pulled her around the next corner before she managed to do so. The next thing she got back to her senses, she was pressed against the wall with her lips connected to his. In an instant, she closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him even closer. If there was one thing that people knew, it was her being very competitive. And she would not let him take the upper hand so easily. She did not know what relationship they had, or how they should describe it, but she sure did not want to let him go so easily. As she became bolder, she slipped her tongue between his lips and explored his mouth greedily. All of this was so new to her. Normally she would feel disgusted by the mere thought of somebody touching her at all. However, whenever she saw him, an unsatisfying hunger would overcome her and it would not assuage until she got at least a kiss out of him. She had to make sure that nobody found out about it, especially that stupid Snotlout. Whenever he got jealous, he tended to cause trouble all over the place, annoying her greatly. When they parted lips, she caught Hiccup looking at her with a dazed look before he snapped out of it and showed her his lopsided grin. Astrid then stepped out of the alleyway and demanded him to follow her by pulling her index finger towards herself. Hiccup obliged contently as he put up his act again, walking next to the Princess who he was now serving.

"Well, how about we finish this painting of yours?" Astrid asked with a smirk as she walked to the room where they always went to work on the painting.

"You mean, the painting that _I_ am painting which just happens to be for you?" Hiccup shot back with a raised eyebrow.

"No, I'm talking about the painting with the apples. Of course I'm talking about my painting!" she snorted, taking a seat on the chair. Hiccup chuckled as he lifted the brush. "Will you get in position for me by yourself or do you need my help?" he challenged her, his eyes showing a mischievous glint.

"Oh well, I think I'm a big girl and can do that myself. Although I wouldn't mind if you would correct my posture if needed," she grinned as she sat down on the throne-like chair. Hiccup just hummed delighted and began to work on the painting. As he drew lines over lines and colors over colors, he used the chance to look at her carefully as well. It was the perfect excuse to watch her. And he loved watching her. Normally they both would spend the time in a comfortable silence but it seemed like today was not one of those days for Astrid had something on her heart that tortured her.

"Say… what did you do back there?" she asked silently as she did not move an inch, her face directed towards the window as she watched everything that went on outside. Hiccup lifted his eyes as he searched for fear and anger in her face. However, the only emotions he could read off her face were confusion and curiosity. He stayed silent for a while, trying to find an answer to her question. Astrid waited patiently since she too expected it to be a heavy topic for him. She would let him decide himself if he entrusted his secret to her or not. She did hope that he would just do that.

Hiccup thought back, trying to remember a warning that his goddess might have left for him… but strangely, his goddess never ever forbid him from talking to other people about his secret. It has always been him who decided to keep it a secret. Then again, even if she never told him to keep it a secret, was it wise to tell it to the Princess who sat in front of him? Sure, they both might have a special relationship now, but it does not change the fact that they just know each other for a few months. Reluctantly, Hiccup asked, "Do you believe in gods?"

Astrid lifted her head for a second, turning it to face him so she could see his feature. He was smiling at her, with those gentle and warm eyes, yet distant and unreachable. She returned the smile and nodded, "I do."

"I see," he mumbled, turning his attention back on the canvas. Astrid too took her previous position and waited. Was that all he had to say? Did he not trust her enough yet? All kinds of questions floated in her mind. However, before she could form any questions or logical theories, Hiccup decided to go on, "Did you know that the night is one of the world's greatest phenomena? So many people fear it since you cannot see anything. You're consumed by the darkness. You sleep, when darkness settles in. If daylight and dawn are both beautiful, why can't night be the same? Have you ever spent the night outside?"

Hiccup lifted his head again as he waited for an answer. Astrid frowned a bit, his reasoning unclear to her and yet she is drawn to him like a question searching for its answer. "I haven't. I'm not allowed to go out past dawn," she simply said, a little bitter though.

"Because people are afraid that something might happen to you? …Or maybe because you yourself are afraid of going out?" Hiccup pressed on.

Now the Princess clearly scowled and turned her head to him. As she glared at him, she noticed that his questions were genuine. There was no sign of ridicule in his eyes. "I'm not afraid of anything. It's my parents who are afraid," she answered with power behind her voice, her pride not allowing herself to show fear towards anything. She was fearless.

Hiccup smiled and put the brush down, "Hey, do you want to skip your lessons today?" The Princess' face fell before it turned into a mischievous, yes, almost overjoyed expression. "Now, who is the bad one actually?" she grinned.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Hiccup shrugged, still smiling at her. He stood up and went towards the door. "I'm just doing you a favor."

"I never asked for it," she quipped, but stood up nonetheless and moved away from the chair.

Hiccup turned around to look at her, just to find her knocking the dust off her dress. "Want to change before we go on our little trip?" he asked with an amused grin. The princess lifted her head and glared at him.

"Ha. Very funny. Actually, yes. I would love to change out of this uncomfortable mess," she answered as she crossed her arms over her chest. Hiccup chuckled and went on. "Alright. Your _beautiful_ highness may go change her clothes while I go and get my stuff. Let's meet in front of the gate," he suggested before leaving her by herself in the room. Astrid stared as his retreating form vanished and a small smirk crept upon her face. It is not that she did not like going out or whatsoever. It was the guarding that made her uncomfortable. She felt caged whenever guards followed her every step, which is why she was looking forward to this little trip even more.

She left the room and walked with a confident pace towards her chamber. Little did she know that a surprise guest awaited her there. She opened the door and was about to go towards her wardrobe when suddenly Ruffnut called from her bed, "Why so happy, your majesty? Oh, it rhymed! I should become a poet." Astrid nearly tripped over her own feet as she held on to the wall to find her balance. She let out an annoyed sigh and opened the wardrobe as she looked for something suitable for her little trip. "What makes you think I'm happy?" she asked nonchalantly. Ruffnut however saw right through her and rolled her eyes, "You know what I'm talking about. Is it that new guy? What was his name again… Herold… Harley… Hu-"

"Henry. His name is Henry," she said and held a red top in front of her, eyeing it for a while before she put it back to the rest.

"Oh, are you an expert now? Come on. What's going on between you two?" Ruffnut insisted as she rolled over from the bed and walked up to her.

"Nothing," Astrid answered, "I'm just glad that I got rid of Snotlout."

"And Harley is any better?"

"His name's Henry."

"Whatever. So, where are you going? We didn't hang out much after that guy joined the castle. I don't trust him. He's smells fishy."

Astrid laughed and replied, "Every guy who gets close to me smells fishy to you!"

"No? Every guy but Eret, son of Eret. Oh, he's just perfect," she said with a dreaming look on her face. However, she snapped out of it right away and leaned against the wardrobe door, looking at Astrid.

"Well, it's ironic seeing as Eret is a fisherman."

"That wasn't your best joke, you know?" Ruffnut commented as she looked at her nails.

"Ruff. I'm kind of in a hurry so can we do this interrogation later? Pretty please?" Astrid said as she pulled out blue leggings and a white shirt. She closed the wardrobe and started to undress.

"Who are you dressing up for anyway? … Wait, don't tell me you're going out with this Harley guy!" Astrid just rolled her eyes and didn't even make the effort to correct her best friend. She pulled on the shirt and the leggings before she slipped into knee-length brown boots. "I'm just going into the town for a bit. Don't make a drama out of it."

"So you are actually going with him? For some reason I feel cheated. Is this normal?" Ruffnut started to hold onto her head dramatically as she put on a shocked expression. "Did I just got replaced?"

Astrid just sighed, passed her as she took the dagger from below her pillow, and put it right into her boot. "Well, I'll see you later Ruff," the Princess simply said before leaving the chamber.

"Cheated!" Ruffnut yelled dramatically from behind as the door closed.

...

Hiccup was already waiting at the gate. When Astrid arrived with Stormfly, she looked at his appearance. Everything he wore was black. It was a strange sight to behold. She was used to her guards wearing the royal armor, which is the complete opposite of what Hiccup wore. It was never a rule or an order but most just thought it was common sense to wear it. Some also wore it because they liked to stand out in the crowd as to show their rank in the society. Her eyes wandered over his getup. He wore black boots and black pants. The edge of the boots were folded to the outside downwards while the ends of the pants were stuck inside the boots. For his upper body he had a black sleeveless leather vest and black leather armguards. The vest covered him up to his throat. Around his waist lay a belt with his sword attached to it. Behind him stood Toothless, all ready to go.

"Not what you expected?" Hiccup asked with a sly grin as she approached him.

"Well, not quite, no. I figured you would wear our royal armor," she admitted.

"It's too heavy. And I can't move freely with that. It also burdens Toothless and he will be slowed down if I need him to be as fast as possible," Hiccup explained as he mounted Toothless. "Anyway, are you ready for our little trip?"

Astrid just smirked and mounted Stormfly as well, "Ready when you are."

"Good, let's see if you can keep up with me," and with that Toothless rushed forward, leaving Astrid and Stormfly dumbfounded behind.

"Let's show them that you're not just some decoration, girl. Let's go!" Astrid kicked Stormfly and off they were. This time Astrid decided to leave Stormfly's armor back at the castle, Hiccups advice still echoing in her head. On their way into the village, she passed farmers, merchants and many other people who greeted her happily. She had not noticed before, but whenever Snotlout accompanied her, the people would stay away from her. It was only a vague guess but she figured that Snotlout had pulled some strings behind her back as to keep her safe. She was grateful for Snotlout's sense of protector but it was really annoying. And she was not even sure if he may have done that just out of monopolism. Either way, since Hiccup did not look like a normal royal guard, she was able to act more freely around her folk. She liked it, she could get used to it. It had been a while since she could taste freedom with every fiber of her body. The only times she could feel it was when she broke out with Ruffnut and caused trouble.

It took them an hour to reach the village. Hiccup dismounted Toothless as he guided him towards a temporary barn. Astrid followed him and released Stormfly as well. Hiccup gave the barn keeper a gold coin for looking after their horses and waited for Astrid to catch up. After they left, Hiccup kept walking behind her. Astrid understood that it was now his job to stay close to her. But she did not like the way he walked behind her. "Don't walk behind me. Walk next to me," she ordered him with a slightly annoyed tone.

"I am your royal guard now. It's a standard to do so," Hiccup reasoned, although he too did not like it. "I don't give two shits about standards. Now walk next to me, it's an order," Astrid snapped, frowning as she glared at him.

"Language, Princess. We're in public," Hiccup said, albeit he was not able to hide his amusement and let out a chuckle. He took two long strides and just in a second, he was walking next to her.

"Better," Astrid confirmed as she strolled around, "Where are we going anyway?"

"You'll see," Hiccup replied and guided her through the mass of people. As they walked, Astrid took notice of all the different yet similar booths. She heard many stories and sometimes glanced at them for a second, however, now that she has all the time of the world, she is looking at them longer, taking in every corner and scratch that comes with it. Astrid watched how the children played tag on the streets while the parents desperately tried to catch up to them. Smiling at the sight, she wished that her parents and she could have done the same if not for their royalty. She understood that she had to act different, to endure, yet sometimes she just cannot seem to hold these emotions in check. It did not happen often, but it still threw her off balance. However, before she could dwell anymore on that, she got pulled into an alley.

"Hiccup, where are we going?" she asked again, this time a bit more urgent.

"Somewhere you haven't been yet," he answered with a mischievous grin. He tightened his grip on her hand and pulled her along with him. They turned several corners until Astrid had no idea anymore where they actually were. All she had to orientate for now was right in front of her. She watched as his shoulders moved with each step, how his hair flew towards her, as if some magnet was attached to her, how Hiccup would sometimes turn around and shoot her that lopsided grin and how it made her whole world spin. She felt dizzy just watching him. It had been like this for a while now but she could not find the reason to explain it. Sure, there were many men who confessed or proposed to her – but she herself never did. She never had the experience or somebody to talk about it to. She felt a little lost, but still excited. This new feeling had probably been the first time in her whole life that made her feel alive, next to pummeling Snotlout into the ground and causing trouble with Ruffnut of course.

"We're here," Hiccup simply said as they halted in front of a rundown building. There were holes in the windows, empty barrels pushed over next to the stairs and a huge sign that said _'Marauder's Shelter'_. The sign hung crooked over the entrance. Astrid could hear loud noise from the inside. It seemed like there were mostly men brawling with each other. Hiccup let go of Astrid's hand, went up the couple of stairs nonchalantly and knocked loudly at the wooden door. The room fell silent in an instant and after a second, someone opened the door a crack broad. An old man looked through the crack and eyed Hiccup from head to toe. Then he closed the door again. Astrid could only hear how something rattled behind the door before it opened entirely.

"Hiccup!" the old man greeted him with open arms and a smile that went from ear to ear. His hair was already white and his back crooked. He wore a leather vest and underneath a dirty white shirt. Some of his teeth were slightly yellow or missing entirely. His pants were ripped and his shoes torn. Yet, the old man made no sign of unhappiness about his own condition.

Hiccup embraced the old man with a huge grin and whispered into the old man's ears, "I have a special guest with me." The old man looked at him confused. Hiccup just grinned and stepped aside so that he could see Astrid. The old man bowed immediately, as much as his condition allowed him to, and greeted her with a nervous, but still cheerful voice, "I'm honored to meet you, Princess."

Astrid smiled, "Please, raise your head. It's not good for your back to be bowing."

"The Princess?!" a voice shouted from inside and suddenly there were people gathering right behind the old man at the entrance, their eyes filled with wonder and fascination.

"Alright, alright! Get back inside ya old thickheads! Let the Princess have some room! For Thor's sake!" the old man yelled as he slapped the men on their arms and backs, pushing them inside. "Close the door behind ya, Hiccup," he said before ordering the men to get a grip.

Astrid looked at Hiccup with doubting eyes before she entered the rundown building reluctantly. Hiccup followed suit and locked the door behind him. It was dark, the only light sources being the torches on the wall and the candles on the table. There was a bar, a stage with musicians on it, and many scattered tables and chairs around the whole room. The people however, who were all looking at the Princess, were dead silent. The old man pushed himself to the front and yelled at the musicians, "Start playing, god damn it! We're having a special guest here! Show her what this place has to offer, ya fools!" The musicians, mostly men, started playing immediately and the room was filled with the rough yet cheerful sound of harmony. The men then took the chance to gather around Hiccup and Astrid, using the once in a lifetime chance to meet the Princess in person.

"Hiccup, you little- how do you know the Princess?!" one of the huge brutes whispered half-loud to him.

"Oh, sorry, did I never mention that I'm her personal guard?" he asked with a smug grin on his face, though he did not mention that he just go promoted to that position. All men and women started to tease him, trying to squeeze as much information out of him as they could while some others told Astrid what an honor it was to be meeting her in person. Honestly spoken, she was a bit overwhelmed by all the people, and moreover, by the difference in their standards. They all had so much less than her, yet they seemed so much happier in life. It raised her curiosity. When Hiccup brought her a cup of beer, she looked at him even more surprised.

"Alright, Hiccup. What is all this supposed to mean?" she demanded an answer. She thought that he wanted to spend time with her alone, yet here they are surrounded by so many people, no privacy in sight.

Hiccup however just grinned even more and clinked their jugs before taking a huge sip from his own, "I'm going to show you the other side of life."

* * *

 **A/N:**

So, I guess I owe you all an explanation. First of all, I will never abandon this story. The same goes for To The Top. Real life just hit me hard and I got barely time to write anything. And to be honest, my motivation was pretty low. I didn't want to just rush through this story, so I decided to take my time and write bit by bit. Today I took my sacred free time to finish this chapter because I too want too see where this story will take me – funny, as I am the one who's writing it.

I'm now working part-time at a new establishment, and it's always hectic. In addition, I'm in the process of moving into my own apartment as well as managing college at the same time. I found a lover a little while after the last chapter was published and am trying to balance my free time to spend time with my friends and my lover. That's mostly the reason why I didn't update anything for the past half year.

I don't know how my future looks like, and if I got any time for the stories. I won't be able to update regularly, but I will write bit by bit from time to time. One thing I can promise is that I will definitely see these two stories to the end. I will never – and I repeat _– never_ ever abandon these stories. Rest assured.

I thank all of you who are reading this story despite the long wait. I appreciate it, I really do. If I could, I would hug you all at once and give you big thank-you-kisses. If you should ever have questions towards my story, you can always PM me. I'll always see to answer each and every question of you. No matter how simple and little. Because to me, it only means that you're interested in this story, a story I never thought would get so many views.

 **Thank you for reading!** And if you got time, leave some feedback or reviews – I'd love that.

* * *

Date of Update: 22nd November 2016

 **~ KeGzZ**


	10. Chapter 10

**Mine or Yours - Keep It Secret  
**

* * *

Astrid was overwhelmed, to say the least. From all the things she had expected, going to a run-down bar in some narrow alley was the last thing that crossed her mind. She was not sure what to think of it. She was excited – yes – but she was also kind of disappointed? She had hoped that the two of them, her and Hiccup, could have some alone time. Lately it had been so easy to forget reality, to just indulge in the fantasy and dream Hiccup had unknowingly created for her. Time and place were not important, all that was important was that she spent time with him. She never fell in love before so she was not really sure if she had romantic feelings for him. However, sometimes she thought that it might be nice if these feelings of her were love indeed. She would stare at him whenever he looked elsewhere and sometimes her eyes would wander south – to his butt, and she would shamelessly carry on until he turned around. Again, she was not sure what these feelings of her were exactly… but it was a fact that she liked to check him out, imagine him in various ways, interacting with her in various ways. She liked the fantasy, because in reality he would probably never do it to her… or rather, not yet. She still had lingering hope that there might be more between them in the far future.

"Astrid?" Hiccup called out and looked at her worried, "Is everything okay?"

"What? Yeah, yeah everything's fine," she responded in a confused haste.

"Sure doesn't seem like it. It… was a bad idea I brought you here?" Hiccup asked with a hint of hesitation.

Astrid shook her head violently, denying his suspicion, "No! No, no… it's just, I didn't expect this so I'm still processing this- everything."

Hiccup raised an eyebrow. "Is that a good or a bad sign?"

Astrid shrugged and smiled, "Neither? I don't know, something in-between maybe?"

Hiccup hummed and sipped at his drink. He and Astrid sat at the bar, surrounded by nosy citizen who are just waiting for a chance to have a nice conversation with her as well. Although they may be nosy, they still respected privacy – well, some of them at least – and just sat far enough to hear a mumble.

Astrid played with the rim of her glass, lost in her thoughts. They have been sitting at the bar for almost half an hour and she still did not understand why Hiccup brought her here. "So… why did you bring me here again?" she asked in a mumble, glancing at him. Hiccup raised his head at her and smiled gently.

"You see, sometimes it's good to just, you know, run away into your own world. For me, a bar is one of those places where I can run to. Moreover, I'm not the only one. People from different families and different circumstances gather here, no matter the social standing, and talk to each other, tell each other's life stories. Here, we all are equal. I've been searching for a bar when I first arrived in this village. And I was lucky to come across old man Digs who brought me here-"

"Digs?" she interrupted him.

"Yeah, it's kind of his nickname. I don't know his real name. Everybody calls him that. He's the one who opened the door for us earlier."

"Oh, that one. Okay," she replied, going over his words as she sorted out her thoughts. "So… again I ask you: Why are we here again?"

Hiccup chuckled which only drew out a frown on the young Princess' face. "Because I wanted to talk to you."

"You can always do that without us going to a pub?" Astrid reasoned, still not understanding what he was thinking.

"Well, yes. But! Uhm… look at it this way; We've been hanging around for a while now, right?" Hiccup started, waiting for her to nod before he resumed, "And we've been kissing each other too…" He drew out the last part with a wary undertone. Now Astrid blushed and choked before nodding hesitantly.

"So, since I thought that… err… we kind of skipped the whole important stuff and jumped right into making out… uhm… I mean it would be nice if… we… could… talk and… know more… about each other?" The more he tried to reason, the more he questioned his way of thinking and for a second he doubted that this was a good idea.

"O-kay? I mean, I don't mind in particular. So where do we start?" she complied for the time being.

Taking it as a good sign, his face brightened up and ordered for two more jugs of mead. "Let's see… how about you start talking about how your life was so far? I mean, as a Princess and all."

As if she had already dreaded it, Astrid let out a long sigh, redirecting her attention to the rim of the glass that is still in her hand. "I don't know where to start. Basically, I should be happy. Normally. I mean, who doesn't want to be a Princess? I have a big room all alone for me. I have money, I have food, my parents love me, I love them – well, most of the time. When Adrian was born, all the attention of my parents turned to him. He is the heir after all. I wasn't really envious, I mean, I didn't intend to rule over the people anyway. I like to be the one in charge, but I don't like to rule. It's a position that denies people the freedom of choice and I certainly don't want something like this since I myself want to claim that freedom. And when my dad started to arrange meetings with various guys, I started my rebellion," she elaborated.

Hiccup nodded and sipped at his mead. He could understand her since he himself also did not like the thought of ruling over people.

"Well, with rebellion I didn't mean that I would start sullying the reputation of my father. More like, I would just go out into town from sunrise 'till sunset. I would avoid the duties given to me and just have fun with Ruffnut and sometimes also with Tuffnut," she told him, chuckling at the thought of spending time with the twins. "Literally, wherever those two walked, disaster would follow. Oh- Ruffnut and Tuffnut are twins, but you probably already noticed."

"Yeah, I noticed. Rather, I would be blind not to notice the resemblence between the two. Ruffnut is the one you hid yourself with in that tree when I came here for the first time, right?" he asked with an amused look. "Sure made a huge impression on me, that time."

"Oh hush, we were hiding from the guards because Ruffnut caused trouble in the kitchen. She ruined the soup that was supposed to be served for you on that day," she laughed.

"If I remember correctly, I wasn't that hungry that time anyway so I wouldn't know," Hiccup said.

"Well, yeah. Anyway that's pretty much my life. Plain and boring. I bet yours is better and more interesting. So spill, how was your life?"

Hiccup crumbled under the gaze of the curious Princess. He thought about how he was supposed to answer that. He knew that he could not just tell her about his real past. He had to make up some lies so that his cover would not be blown. "Hmm, well my life wasn't that interesting either. I don't remember my mother. All my dad ever told me was that she died in an accident. Whenever I tried to ask him about her, he would close up and try to change the topic. So at some point I stopped asking. Both for his and my sake. And... My life was actually pretty normal, easy-going even. Eventually Gobber took me in as an apprentice since he was good friends with my father and he thought that working as a blacksmith would help me build some muscles."

"So you were a toothpick in your childhood?" she grinned at the imagination. It surely suited him. She could picture it almost vividly, as if she had known him since childhood already. "But I must say, the blacksmithing truly worked out in your favor. I mean, you're not exactly a brawn but it's visible you've got some muscles underneath those clothes."

Hiccup raised his eyebrow at the comment and smirked, "How would you know?"

 _Shoot._ She said it unconsciously without thinking it through. "Uhh, well. As I said, it's visible, isn't it?" she tried to reason.

"Yeah, you did..." he admitted hesitantly as he observed her. Astrid just gave him a clueless smile and waited. "Anyway, uhm, as Gobber might have already told you. Our kingdom was under attack and Gobber got me out of there. By request of my father." He looked down into his jar. Yes... his home was no more. And probably neither was his father.

Astrid sensed that the topic seemed to burden the young man and regretted asking. Since she had first heard about it, more and more people had sought help from her father and their kingdom. She had not been aware that Hiccup was also a victim of the _Great Fall_ \- that was how people started to call the incident. She did not remember much of the kingdom. Sometimes she and her father would visit them and she would just run off elsewhere, snooping around, seeing as she was bored and had nothing better to do. She had heard that Stoick the King had a son but she had never gotten to see him.

"I'm sorry. It must have been hard for you," Astrid tried to comfort him.

Hiccup just looked up and gave her a modest smile. He appreciated it but it did not change the fact that it was in the past. There was nothing that could be done about it anymore. "Yeah... anyway. That's how I ended up here, living my life," he replied and drank the rest of the mead in his mug. After he finished, he returned the mug to the barkeep and ordered another one. He could not just tell her about him and his true identity. As if he could. It would probably raise more attention and questions than necessary.

...

Hiccup and Astrid chatted away the night, talking about life, their ambitions and activities they did in their free time. Astrid talked about her studies as well as physical achievement such as archery, brawling and swordsmanship while Hiccup told her about his drawing and blacksmithing as well as his inventions. Some of them sounded crazy and impossible to create, some however sounded very logical and doable. Those that did, he already tried to make prototypes and fixed problems after problems until he did not have the knowledge anymore to make it better. As the two of them talked, they had drunken more and more mead. Hiccups walls around him sunk after each mug bit by bit. Astrid, glad that she could finally talk to him without having him act reserved, welcomed it wholeheartedly.

At some point, the barkeep stopped giving them anymore mead since he did not want to be held responsible, should anything happen to the Princess. While Astrid was only a little bit tipsy, Hiccup continued to drink, reaching the point of swaying and mumbling incoherently. Astrid was amused at how childish and unreasonable he became over the time. She took note to remember this place and bring him back here, just to see him like this once more. The people around were also nice and caring. Some men even joined Hiccup and started to hold a competition over who could down his mug the fastest. Eventually, Astrid became tired and started to yawn every now and then. Old man Digs had then come up to the Princess and told her to go home with the young lad. He would also send one of his men to accompany them safely since Hiccup did not seem to be in any condition to bring her home accordingly.

After bidding good bye to the people and apologizing for Hiccups behavior, Astrid, Hiccup and a huge man left the tavern. She led them to the horses they had left in the care of the public stable. The man lifted Hiccup and sat him on Toothless while Astrid just mounted Stormfly normally. The man then bid good bye as well and told her to come again once in a while. Hiccup, as drunk as he may be, started to sit upright after a while, which was good. Because if the guards were to see Hiccup in the condition she had seen him in the tavern, he would be in so much trouble. She just prayed that Hiccup could keep up the act until they reached the royal stable.

Sure enough, the guards greeted Astrid once they arrived at the Gate. Hiccup just nodded and tried to look as normal as he could. He may be drunk, but some habits and manners will always stay. However, he did not trust himself to talk fluently so he stayed silent instead. Astrid had thanked the guards for doing their duty and led Hiccup to stable. After she jumped off Stormfly, she helped Hiccup down since she feared he might completely fall off Toothless without any help.

"Are you okay?" she asked as she supported him.

"Urgh... I'm fine, I'm totally... fine," he mumbled and tried to stand by himself.

"Come on, I'll help you get to your room," Astrid declared and dragged him through the garden into the palace. When she reached the stairs her face paled. There was no way in hell she could carry him up the stairs alone. She looked around her and made sure nobody was around except the guards. She waved her hand at one who was approaching them and signaled him to stay quiet. He looked at them confused and walked to them.

"How can I help you, Princess?" the guard asked unsure at the scene. The Princess and the new _guard_ that got assigned just this morning and how he behaved. He did not like this one bit. However, clever as Astrid was, she already predicted that way of thought and had already come up with a lie.

"Thomas, help me carry him to his room. I got a little bit ahead of me and ordered him to drink too much. Please don't tell dad or anybody about this, _please_?" she asked in a whisper with a slight smirk.

 _Oh, so the Princess made him drink that much._ "Of course," he said reluctantly. It was in that moment that he wished he were not in Hiccup's position. So he took one of Hiccups arms and pulled it around his shoulder. The guard straightened his back and began to drag him up the stairs. All the while he could hear him mumble things, although incoherently. However, he never expected what was to come when he was halfway up.

"You see... I can totally understand you Astrid..." Hiccup started. Astrid wondered what he was talking about as did Thomas. They both looked at each other confused, Astrid holding a slightly worried glint even. She hoped he would not spill all the things they talked about in the tavern. Especially in presence of someone who could spill the beans to her father any second. She tried to lighten up the situation and cover it by chuckling, "Yeah, you're tired. We can talk about it tomorrow all day." Hopefully he would really stop talking unnecessarily about things that were private. However, unbeknownst to her, he was talking about something completely different.

"No... hear me out..." he muttered, "It's been hard, you know? I mean, my dad never paid attention, you know? He was always tending to the citizen, you see? Just because he's the King doesn't mean that he can just neglect his son, you see?"

 _King? Son?_ Now Astrid and Thomas got ever more curious. Could it be that they were about to hear something that really was not meant for their ears?

"I mean, I did everything he wanted... Gobber told me to take on his name so that I would have a fresh start, but you see... it just makes me even more lonely."

Thomas took a deep breath. Unconsciously he had slowed down in his track, so did Astrid, now more interested in what Hiccup had to say instead of bringing him into his chamber. Astrid tried to add the pieces together and gulped. If it was what she really thought, then this could actually be really serious. She first thought that it was pretty amusing how he lost control of his barriers and walls once he was drunk. Now she was not so sure anymore. "What's... your real name?" she asked in a low voice. She almost regretted asking at all. Thomas only waited patiently. He was in no place to say or ask anything.

"Isn't it obvious...?" Hiccup asked mockingly, "It's Henry... Horrendous Haddock III."

 _THUMP._

Hiccup groaned and lay spread on the stairs. Astrid had gone numb at his answer and lost grip on his arm and weight, thus letting him slip and fall down. It had come so unexpected, Thomas was not able to react fast enough to support the weight all on his own so suddenly. Well, part of it was also because the information also took him off guard. Astrid evened her breathing and glared at Thomas.

"One word to my dad or _anyone,_ and I will _kill_ you personally," she hissed and threatened him. Right now her highest priority was to keep that secret secret. Even if she had to kill off the guard in order no to let that information leak out. A part of her trusted him enough to keep his mouth shut. Thomas was one of the few guards who would always crumble under her gaze and threats. He was even about the same age as her. He had been assigned to his post a few months ago. He was actually new to this whole environment and Astrid used him more than she would like to admit to get out of the palace with Ruffnut.

"Do you understand? I want nobody to find out about this. And if this information should go around, I will know who spilled the beans. Keep in mind that I am more than capable of hurting you without even touching you," she threatened him and then went back to the task. She picked Hiccup up and dragged him up the last few stairs alone. The adrenaline that coursed through her blood right in that moment helped her muster up the strength to carry him to his room.

"Yes, Princess..." Thomas said in a whisper and hurried after her, making sure to help her the last few meter.

Astrid could not believe it. Hiccup was a Prince. He was royal. They were literally equal. Too much thoughts and feelings jumbled together and it gave her a headache. Since Hiccup had fallen, he did not say anything anymore. It seemed like he was fast asleep. Thomas helped the Princess carry Hiccup into his chamber. They laid him down on his bed. Astrid pulled off his boots and covered him with a blanket before she left the room with Thomas. When the door fell shut she looked at Thomas one more time.

"Swear on your life you won't talk to anyone about this," she asked him, this time more politely and without threats. "He's the first one to look at the real me. I don't my father nor the maids and guards to stick their nose into this affair. Promise me."

Thomas looked at her surprised, her words sounding like those of a normal girl of age. In the end, the Princess too was only a girl with desires. He gave her a genuine smile and answered, "Truthfully spoken, I'm too terrified of your highness, I wouldn't dare do anything that were to upset you." It was true. He really was terrified of her. Even more than he was terrified of the King.

Astrid watched his expression and grinned, "Good. Thank you. Good night." And with that, she went to her own room, temporarily satisfied that the secret is safe. As she locked the door, she began to change out of her clothes. Afterwards she fell on her bed and cuddled herself into a pillow, hugging it as she tried to sort out her feelings and thoughts. Basically, she did not know how to confront the fact that Hiccup was a Prince, a royal. Would that change anything between the two? Basically, until now Hiccup had even treated her as if she were in a higher position than him. But maybe that was only because he had to pretend to be of lower social standing. Would he remember what he told her the next morning? If he did not, should she tell him? Would that make it easier for him to converse with her? It would at least help her understand him better since she would know a bit of his background.

She turned in her bed and looked up to the ceiling. Astrid was tired and exhausted. The day was so fun. Never would she have expected that at the end of the day, Hiccup would let out such an emotional bomb. She closed her eyes and sighed. Probably a little sleep would help her mind and body. She would postpone her decision for now until the next morning and just take a well-deserved rest.

...

The sun rose as Hiccup opened his eyes. His head throbbed and he felt like throwing up. The last thing he remembered was talking to Astrid in the tavern and competing with the men as who drank faster. He stood up slowly, trying not to worsen his headache. He should try to freshen himself up and find Astrid to fill his holes in his memory. He wobbled to the next bathroom and put two fingers as deep as he could into his mouth, causing himself to throw up violently. Afterwards he took a bath and cleaned himself up. Had drank as much water as he could yet the headache did not seem to subside that quickly. However, he was at least awake enough to walk straight and normally again. Hiccup directed himself to the Princess' room and knocked the door. He heard something shuffling before a low whisper answered, "Whaaaaat..."

"Uhm, it's Hiccup," he said low enough for her to hear it. Another shuffling. Then he heard steps approaching the door. After a moment, the door opened a crack wide and Astrid's eyes looked at him. She frowned and turned away from the door, leaving it open. "Come in..." she muttered before falling into her bed again.

"Are you okay?" Hiccup asked as he stepped inside, closing the door behind him.

"I've got a headache and feel like it's getting worse every time I move," she replied and held her head. She slipped back under the covers and curled herself up, looking like a lazy lump.

"That's normal. Was it the first time you drank that much?" he asked her curiously, standing three steps away from her bed. Astrid pulled down the covers a bit, glancing at him.

"Yes it was the first time I drank that much. Normally I'm not even allowed to drink any of it," she replied, watching him.

"At least you got off with a simple headache. I had to throw up in order to make me feel better," he sighed and held his head. He felt a little bump on the back of his head which he got from falling to the stairs the night before. However, unbeknownst to him, he just scratched it off as an imagination on his side. He was probably just too tired to get a grasp on reality.

"You going to stand there all day?" she asked him in a whisper, slightly hoping for him to join her in the comfortable bed. Now that she knew that he was a Prince too, she felt no need to keep a certain distance between them.

"Uhm... I don't know if that is a good idea. I mean, I'm just a... commoner," he said in a low voice.

Astrid looked at him, her stare blank and calculating, "I don't care. Either you get onto my bed or I'm going to tell my dad about what happened yesterday."

"That is blackmailing, Princess," he pointed out but approached her nonetheless.

"Call me Princess one more time and I'm seriously going to consider it," she deadpanned.

"You seem to be moody, M'lady. Could it be that last night was too much for you?" he asked smugly, grinning at her as he pulled off his boots.

Astrid lifted her covers and invited him into her warm cave while Hiccup welcomed it gladly, seeing as his headache did not subside anytime soon. Astrid snuggled into him and let out a relieved sigh, "Yes... it really was too much for me."

* * *

 **A/N:**

Hey there, it's been a while huh. It's a long story, but basically: I had no motivation and time to continue writing. To be honest, everything that comes after this chapter hasn't been thought out yet.

I'm gonna be in the army starting next month, which will make it harder for me to find any time again. I just got this week off and thought I might as well update. I'm sorry for those who have waited so long and thank you for being so patient with me.

Another aspect is that I have a serious mental issue. My options were to either go the a therapist or find a solution with the person who're closest to me. Since my boyfriend was seriously against it, it will take longer for me to change myself, but at least I will be doing it together with him instead of a random stranger I don't know.

Starting next week I will have to work again. At the end of June I will have some days off again and will see if I can spare some time for another chapter. To be honest, right now I seriously don't know who I am, where I belong and what to do with me. Right now I'm trying to find myself and it's really hard. However, I am someone who keeps her promises. I promised some people I would update this summer and so here it is. I hope you like it. I can't promise when the next chapter will come out exactly but do remember that **I am not going to abandon this story.**

Anyway, I thank you again for your patience and hope that you enjoyed this chapter. The next one might contain some lemon. I am not sure about it yet. So keep your heads up.

* * *

Date of Update: 9th June 2017

 **\- KeGzZ**


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